{"id":43865,"date":"2025-11-12T16:19:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T16:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/43865\/"},"modified":"2025-11-12T16:19:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T16:19:11","slug":"tallahassee-celebrates-veterans-day-tallahassee-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/43865\/","title":{"rendered":"Tallahassee Celebrates Veterans Day \u2013 Tallahassee Reports"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"fb-share-icon\"<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Tweet\"
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

By Florida Phoenix Staff<\/p>\n

The unseasonably cold weather didn\u2019t keep 43-year-old Jean Francois and his three young children from taking in the Veteran\u2019s Day parade in Tallahassee on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love America. So we want to come and enjoy America,\u201d said Francois, who, along with his wife and his son, emigrated to the United States from the Republic of Cameroon in central Africa.<\/p>\n

Three years ago, the trio became United States Citizens. His two youngest children were born in the United States and were already citizens.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to honor the veterans,\u201d Francois said, telling the Phoenix why he was at the parade. He shared that shortly after becoming a U.S. citizen he went to enlist in the U.S. Army Reserves. But he was nearly 40 years old at the time, beyond the 37-year-old age cut off.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was told I was too old for that. I was shocked. But I love this uniform, everything. And I\u2019d be happy one of those days if any one of these decided to wear the uniform,\u201d he said, referring to his three young children. \u201cI\u2019d be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Jean Francois and his three children taking in the Veteran\u2019s Day parade in Tallahassee on Nov. 11. (Christine Sexton\/Florida Phoenix)<\/p>\n

\"\"(Photo by Christine Sexton\/Florida Phoenix)<\/p>\n

Hundreds of people lined up along Monroe Street to watch the parade. Not everyone was there for the parade, though. Petitioner gatherers with clip boards in hand looked for registered voters willing to sign a proposed constitutional amendment to allow adults to recreationally use marijuana. And some parade onlookers were selling food, including hot boiled peanuts, two bags for $10.<\/p>\n

The parade featured Junior Reserve Officers\u2019 Training Corps from area high schools as well as high school marching bands and Florida State University\u2019s Marching 100.<\/p>\n

\"fb-share-icon\"<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Tweet\"
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t