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Smyrna marks Veterans Day with keynote from Staff Sergeant Robert Keith McElroy
Summary
Smyrna’s 2025 Veterans Day ceremony featured a keynote from Staff Sergeant Robert Keith McElroy, a performance by the Stewarts Creek High School Apollo Contra Ensemble and the traditional playing of Taps; Town Manager David Santucci opened the event and the VFW hosted a post-ceremony lunch.
On Nov. 11, 2025, the Town of Smyrna gathered at its Veterans Day ceremony as Town Manager David Santucci opened the program and welcomed veterans, elected officials and community members.
"On behalf of the town of Smyrna, I would like to welcome each of you to our annual Veterans Day celebration," Santucci said, introducing the program and the participants who helped stage the event.
The ceremony included the presentation of colors by the Town of Smyrna Fire Department honor guard, the Pledge of Allegiance led by Senior Vice Commander Charlie Gaudreau of VFW Post 8422, and an invocation by Chaplain John Radzowski.
The Stewarts Creek High School Apollo Contra Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Susan Kelly and Dr. Brian Russell, performed "America the Beautiful" before the keynote address.
Staff Sergeant Robert Keith McElroy, a retired U.S. Army bandsman with a 20-year career, delivered the keynote. McElroy traced the history of military bands from the Revolutionary era to their modern roles, described the practical origins of bugle calls and Taps, and shared personal stories of family members who served.
"The military bands have been around since George Washington and the American Revolutionary War," McElroy said, framing music as both a tactical and morale force. He described Taps as adopted in 1891 "as a symbol of military remembrance, past and present." He also recounted family sacrifices, including a cousin listed as MIA in Vietnam and an uncle wounded in combat.
McElroy used his remarks to emphasize inter-service cooperation: "Without the air power of the Air Force and their strategic cover of the skies, ground troops would be like sitting ducks," he said, and he praised the roles of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force.
The keynote concluded with a salute to service members and their families and a reminder of Veterans Day’s purpose as a day to honor living veterans. Following the remarks, Taps was played and the honor guard retired the flags.
Santucci closed the ceremony with acknowledgments of the many participants and volunteers and invited attendees to a complimentary lunch hosted by VFW Post 8422 at 10157 Old Nashville Highway.
The event combined musical performance, personal testimony and traditional observances to mark Veterans Day and honor local and national military service.
