Miami Beach Project 54,000 Veteran Messages on Betsy Orb

Miami Beach will project electronic letters and videos onto the Betsy Orb for four consecutive nights starting Nov. 7 to honor military service members ahead of Veterans Day. The city partnered with VFW Post 3559 and the Badger platform to facilitate the campaign. The initiative aims to display public messages of gratitude on the spherical skybridge that connects The Betsy Hotel to the former Carlton Hotel.

The first night of the event begins at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 with a live bugler playing "Retreat" outside the main entrance of The Betsy Hotel at 1440 Ocean Drive. This audio signal will broadcast simultaneously to speakers located on Lincoln Road and Pennsylvania Avenue, as well as on 73 Street and Ocean Terrace in North Beach. Recordings of the bugle call will replay at the same time during the following three evenings.

Projections on the Betsy Orb will run from 6:40 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the opening night. Subsequent nights will feature displays from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Mayor Steven Meiner stated that the freedoms Americans enjoy were secured through the courage of those who served. He noted that the campaign serves as a reminder that freedom is not free and that a debt of gratitude remains owed to defenders of the nation.

U.S. Air Force Col. Wesley Hales of U.S. Southern Command will present new medals to USAF Sgt. James E. Anderson during a private ceremony at The Betsy on Nov. 7. Anderson, a Vietnam War veteran, lost his original medals during his return trip from Da Nang to Philadelphia approximately 50 years after his service. Anderson received a 100% disability rating in July 2026 for lung injuries sustained during his service. Retired Army Lt. Col. Jackie Tam, commander of VFW Post 3559, described the ceremony as a meaningful conclusion to a long wait for Anderson's honors.

The Badger platform, developed by Miami Beach Marine veteran Alex Kruger-Dobrota, enables users to send handwritten notes or short videos to veterans. Kruger-Dobrota cited his experience receiving letters from a school in Afghanistan as the inspiration for the tool. The VFW Department of Florida is hosting the live feed for the 54,000 combat veteran members across the state. Kruger-Dobrota stated the goal is to make the program an annual national event.

The public can view the live feed or upload content at miamibeachfl.gov/america250 between Nov. 2 and Nov. 10. Two screenings of the documentary "Nothing Can Be Done, But Something Can Be Said" are scheduled for Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. inside The Betsy. The film, created with The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, uses poetry and World War II letters to explore wartime sacrifice. The title references a poem by Hyam Plutzik, a soldier-poet and three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist.

The city will also hold its 18th annual Veterans Day parade on Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m. The procession will travel along Ocean Drive from 5th to 15th Street. Participants will include veteran groups, marching bands, and local businesses. This event is described as the largest Veterans Day parade in South Florida.