Locals and visitors raise flags for Warrior Beach Retreat parade

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - American flags waved with American pride during the Warrior Beach Retreat’s semi-annual parade this evening.

Twice a year, Warrior Beach Retreat hosts eight military couples for a weeklong vacation in Panama City Beach, honoring wounded service members and their families.

Crowds line the streets to watch the parade welcoming the couples, while others take part in a long-standing tradition of planting American flags along the Hathaway Bridge.

“To go through what they did and be wounded for our country — some didn’t come home, and a lot of their buddies didn’t — they paid the ultimate price for our freedom,” veteran Brian Burford told NewsChannel 7. “It’s the least I can do to come out here and hold a flag.”

John and Heather Adkins have displayed flags each time the retreat comes to Panama City Beach, a tradition they say has continued for the past 16 years.

“These guys have been injured in combat, and it’s a great thing they’re doing for these wounded warriors,” John Adkins said. “It’s just to show our appreciation for what they’ve done and what they’ve gone through. They’ve given it all.”

After the parade, the public was invited to hear from John Wayne Walding, a former Green Beret sniper, at the Boardwalk Beach Convention Center.

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