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DENTON – CASA of Caroline welcomed about 30 veterans of the armed forces, local heroes, and friends to their fourth annual Veterans Day Heroes Breakfast on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, at the Denton Diner.
The breakfast, sponsored by Shore United Bank, was an opportunity “to honor and thank our veterans for their service and for everything they continue to do for our community,” said Victor Reynolds, outreach and communications coordinator for CASA of Caroline.
Caroline County State’s Attorney and U.S. Army veteran Sloane Franklin served as an intelligence specialist from 1984 to 1988 with assignments in South Korea and stateside.
“When I look back on my time in uniform, I think about what service really means,” Franklin said, as he addressed the attendees. “It’s not just about protecting people, it's about standing up when someone needs you. That's the same with CASA.”
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASA of Caroline County is a non-profit organization dedicated to the recruitment and training of advocates appointed by the court to serve abused or neglected children within the legal system.
“CASA's mission is to give a voice to the children who need it,” Franklin said. “We're vets, but we need to support CASA, as well. They need somebody in their corner, somebody who listens to them, who believes in them, who are champions for them, who doesn't give up.”
Also attending the breakfast were Caroline County Sheriff Donald Baker and two deputies, Sgt. Ryan Baughman and Cpl. Brent Beck, who served in the U.S. Army for 15 years.
Pastor Don Reynolds of Calvary Baptist Church gave the blessing. He served as a chaplain from 2003 to 2004 with the 115th MP Battalion during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He attended with his wife Nancy and their son, Army Staff Sgt. Will Reynolds, a Howitzer Section Chief stationed with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Grafenwoehr, Germany.
Federalsburg native and Navy veteran Brian Carmean is a local veterans’ employment representative and disabled veterans’ outreach program specialist with the Maryland Department of Labor. He described how his Cambridge-based agency offers career services to veterans and other eligible Maryland residents. He partners with local employers and nonprofit organizations to connect veterans with job and training opportunities, as well as medical and mental health services.
Carmean said veterans looking for employment can also contact an American Job Center, located in each county. He can be reached at 443-401-6100.
Denton Rotary President Sue Simmons promoted the local Wreaths Across America initiative launched in 2024 by Eagle Scout Billy Quick of Denton.
Simmons encouraged attendees to consider sponsoring a wreath to be placed on one of 400 veterans’ graves in Denton Cemetery. A ceremony is scheduled for noon on Dec. 13 at the cemetery. For more information, visit www.wreathsacrosamerica.org/MD0677 or the Caroline Review story posted Oct. 24.
Franklin concluded his remarks by commending his fellow veterans and CASA. “Thank you for your service, your sacrifice and the brotherhood, and to CASA and its volunteers … for providing passion, compassion and courage to the children. Together, we remind the world that service, whether it's on the battlefield or in the courtroom, is about hope, humanity and heart.”
