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Email a FriendI need to hang my flag! Thanks for this post to remind me. Well, we won’t be at the parade :( Go brush truck #1. But we’ll definitely be remembering and praying for our favorite vets and have a BBQ in appreciation for them.
Hometown Goodness
Why I Love the Memorial Day Parade
Posted by Robyn Lee in Family on Saturday, May 29, 2010 2:26 PM
I love my small town Memorial Day parade.
Every year our family walks up to the Route 10 parade route. We sit on the same hill every year ... and to be the honest, the parade is pretty much the same every year. But I still love it.
On our designated parade-watching spot, we spread out our blankets and wait for the parade to come. Aunt Karen hands out fun snacks and chocolate goodness to keep the kids (and adults) occupied. It is normally so hot, that some kid has melted chocolate running down his face.
Kids will run down the hill and look up the street hoping for the beginning of the parade. Usually we can hear the drums of the band before we can see anything, but as soon as the first police car is spotted all the kids run down the hill to check it out. “It’s coming!”
The high school band is usually the first group spotted. They play Anchors Away or some other patriotic song. The teenage nephews roll their eyes at me for singing along, and when I see that, I normally sing louder.
Mom and Aunt Karen know a ton of people in the parade. They yell out the names of the passersby and wave. We get scolded for yelling out random names just to see if anyone would look at us. (Mary! John! Paul! Harry!)
We wave at our parish school and church float, the guy with the old car, the motorcycles, the karate club and gymnastics groups (I hope the girl doing flips doesn’t break her neck).
We count all the tractors and horses in the parade (and feel bad for the marchers behind the horses).
We try to see if we know anyone in boy scouts or in the baseball and softball teams (stop yelling out random names!).
The kids run to get the candy thrown from the float passing by, or the peanuts from the local club and everyone, of course, gets a little mini-American flag.
Last year was the first time my younger brother Tom drove the brush fire truck in the parade. We were so proud and excited that we made signs and brought pom-poms to cheer him on.
He looked so tall and grown up sitting in the driver’s seat. I may have shed a little tear when he drove by (but don’t tell him, he’d be so embarrassed).
It is such a thrill to see the kids’ faces light up when the military helicopter flies over the parade route. The helicopter is so low that you can actually see the people hanging out of the door waving! Everyone is charged after it goes by and we watch as the big, loud chopper flies into the distance.
After the last police car drives by, we pick up our blankets (and all the candy wrappers) and head back home.
When we get to the flag pole we stop and listen to the high school trumpeter play taps. I reflect on all this hometown goodness, and I thank those men and women who gave the ultimate gift to keep all of us at home safe. Let’s remember them in prayer especially on this Memorial Day weekend.
What are you doing for Memorial Day weekend? Do you go to any parades? What are your family traditions?
Comments
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Posted by Elizabeth M on Saturday, May 29, 2010 8:58 PM (EDT):
Our kids (with the Boy and Girl scouts) participated in flag placement at the regional veterans’ cemetery. In less than a half hour, 30,000 flags were placed on each grave. It was an impressive sight to see hills covered in rows of flags. The grave markers also indicated the wars they served in, their branch of service, and (in some cases) the honors awarded. It was moving and a moving reminder of what this holiday is about. We stopped by my sister-in-law’s parents grave there to say prayers and leave flowers.
On Monday our town has a parade as well with fire departments, military vehicles, bands, etc. It ends at the veteran’s memorial on Main Street.
With veterans in our families, living and dead, we want to instill this respect for what Memorial Day is really about.
Posted by Barb Szyszkiewicz, sfo on Sunday, May 30, 2010 10:04 AM (EDT):
We attend a local parade, with lots of bands, floats and fun. It’s always a great time. The parade ends at a veterans’ memorial and there is a ceremony there. After that, the Boy Scouts serve hot dogs and drinks to everyone at the local firehouse.
Posted by Kim on Monday, May 31, 2010 9:10 PM (EDT):
Every year we attend the parade, mom and I as an onlooker and our son marches with his Boy Scout troop, my daughter with her Girl scout troop. The parade starts with the policeman, my son’s GODfather is a fire commisioner and he marches with the mayor and city council members, my husband is the last to march as the Fire Dept. is the last ones in the parade line-up. Everyone cheers them on, the kids in the audience love the sirens and the dalmation owned by one of the firewomen.
Our city is under major construction and is a mess so it wasn’t as eye pleasing as usual and they could stop the procession at the memorial park as they have every year. It’s great to see all those who served, the older ones in cars. I love the community feeling.
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