LURAY, Va. — This week, local residents came together to honor local veterans with tributes at area memorials, recognition at the local airport and corporate donations.
Comer-Jones VFW Post 621 expressed its appreciation for an award received from Tractor Supply with the following statement:
VFW Post 621 would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Tractor Supply for their generous $250 donation in honor of Veterans Day!
Community support like this means so much to our Post and the veterans we proudly serve.
Contributions from local businesses help us continue our mission of supporting veterans, honoring their service, and strengthening our community.
We are grateful to have businesses like Tractor Supply standing behind our veterans and showing their appreciation for those who have served.
From all of us at VFW Post 621, THANK YOU for supporting our veterans!
The donation was part of Tractor Supply’s two-week celebration, which began October 28 on National First Responders Day and continued through Veterans Day on November 11.
As part of the initiative, participating stores selected local military, veteran or first responder organizations to receive $250 donations.
According to the company, more than 2,000 fire, police and veterans organizations received support during last year’s celebration.
In 2025, Tractor Supply and the Tractor Supply Foundation donated more than $15 million to charitable causes through direct giving, sponsorships, fundraisers and more, according to the company website.
To learn more about Tractor Supply sponsorship opportunities for your non-profit agency, click HERE.
The VFW recently also posted the following message of gratitude to members of the local community:
Veterans Day is about more than a ceremony, a flag, or a day on the calendar.
It’s about remembering the sacrifices, honoring the service, and recognizing the bonds that connect us as veterans.
This Veterans Day, we had the opportunity to come together as veterans, stand alongside one another, share stories, remember those who are no longer with us, and reflect on what it means to have served this great country.
But what made this day especially meaningful was seeing how many members of our community came out to stand with us.
To the students, teachers, school staff, families, businesses, organizations, and everyone who took the time to recognize and support our veterans: THANK YOU!
A special thank you to Taylor Lafever and JJ Switzer for bringing the music to our fire pit! You helped make the evening something truly special.
There were smiles, laughter, great music, and plenty of memories made.
We can honestly say it was an absolute blast, and we are grateful you shared your time and talent with us!
You may never fully understand what a simple handshake, a kind word, a standing ovation, or a heartfelt thank-you means to someone who has worn the uniform.
But we can tell you this: it means more than you know.
For many of us, the military gave us a family, a purpose, and lifelong bonds.
Events like this remind us that when we come home, that sense of family doesn’t have to end. Our community becomes part of that family, too.
We stood together as veterans, but we left knowing that our community stood with us.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for remembering us, honoring us, and reminding us that our service and sacrifices have not been forgotten.
We served together.
We stand together.
And we are forever grateful to stand alongside a community like this one.
The VFW also posted the following message, expressing appreciation for a November 14 celebration held at Luray Caverns Airport.
Today was a reminder of just how much it means when a community comes together to recognize and appreciate the men and women who have served our country.
We want to extend our sincere gratitude to Luray Caverns Corporation, Luray Caverns Airport staff, and the pilots for putting together such a wonderful Veterans Appreciation Day at Luray Caverns Airport.
The free lunch, the hospitality, the conversations, and most importantly, the thought behind bringing everyone together meant more to us than words can adequately express.
For many veterans, being recognized isn’t about receiving a thank-you or a free meal. It’s about knowing that people remember, that our service matters, and that the sacrifices made by our military families and veterans have not been forgotten.
Events like this also serve an important purpose: they remind our communities that veterans are still here, that many continue to carry invisible battles long after their uniforms come off, and that sometimes the simplest gesture of kindness can mean more than anyone realizes.
To everyone who took the time to attend, support, volunteer, donate, or simply stop by and shake a veteran’s hand, THANK YOU!
And to the businesses and individuals who continue to stand behind our veterans, please know that your support does not go unnoticed.
We are proud to be part of a community that shows up for its veterans. We hope events like this continue to grow and inspire others to get involved.
From all of us at VFW Post 621 in Luray, thank you for making today special. It truly meant a lot to us.
We served our country.
Now it means the world to know our community stands beside us.
A non-profit organization, Comer-Jones VFW Post 621 was established Oct. 24, 1944, and named in honor of the first two local veterans officially declared dead by the War Department during World War II.
Avis Owen Comer of Shenandoah was killed on Guadalcanal on Sept. 14, 1942, while Melvin Lafayette Jones of Stanley died from wounds sustained while serving aboard the USS Jacob Jones on Feb. 28, 1942.
To learn more about Comer-Jones Post 621 (or to donate), visit their website HERE or follow them on Facebook at vfwlurayva.
Commander Bill Fisher may be reached at (540) 335 3278.
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