Ovilla Heritage Day salutes military service Sept. 28

OVILLA – The city of Ovilla will celebrate its 56th Annual Heritage Day Celebration this year with a salute to military service.

Scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., the event will begin with a parade followed by a celebration behind city hall and the police station beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Former DeSoto Mayor Bobby Wadall will serve as this year’s honorary grand marshal in the parade.

Wadall graduated from Texas Tech University in 1955 where he was a member of the Air Force ROTC and studied agricultural education.

He retired from the Air Force in 1985 as a colonel with 30 years of service.

During that 30 years, Wadall was a flight instructor, combat pilot in Southeast Asia and an administrator at the Pentagon.

He has over 5,000 hours of military flying time, two Legion of Merit Awards, the Distinguished Flying Cross and 11 Air Medals.

He was married 53 years before his wife’s passing in 2013. He still lives in the city of DeSoto, on the land his family has owned for over 100 years.

He has three children and nine grandchildren.

At the Ovilla city council meeting last week, council presented a proclamation for Wadall’s years of service and dedication naming him the parade’s grand marshal, as well as formally naming the theme for this year’s heritage day a “Salute to Military Service.”

The annual heritage day event will also feature plenty of entertainment, food, children’s activities including a climbing wall and petting zoo and many local vendors.

Several local dignitaries are also expected to attend this year’s heritage day in Ovilla as well.

The Ovilla city council also presented a proclamation for this year’s National Night Out in Ovilla, which will be held in October versus the national date in August in order to avoid the hot Texas weather.

Ovilla’s National Night Out as well as numerous other Best Southwest Cities NNO events will be held Tuesday, Oct. 1.