One of Cherokee County’s own will be honored today in Birmingham.
David Hartline, current Vice-Commander for the American Legion in the state of Alabama – will be appearing in today’s Birmingham Veteran’s Day parade – and prior to that, during a special luncheon at the Civic Center, he will be recognized as the state’s “Veteran of the Year” and “Legionnaire of the Year”.
Governor Robert Bentley will be making the presentation.
Hartline – who is slated to move up to the post of Commander of the American Legion next year – has fought tirelessly for veteran’s rights throughout his career.
He was honored in August of this year, with a 14.9 mile stretch of roadway being re-named the David L. Hartline Highway in recognition of his many accomplishments. His first book – the best-selling “Vietnam What a Soldier Gives” is now in its 10th printing and he continues to travel the country – speaking to civic groups and military personnel regarding veteran’s rights and his own experiences.
He recently spoke to a large group of students at the “Maneuver Captain’s Career Course” at Ft. Benning:
The video of that entire speech has been posted below