May 18, 2010 - BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) -- Service members throughout Kitsap County participated in the 62nd Annual Dignity Memorial Armed Forces Day Parade in Bremerton, Wash., May 15.
The parade is one of the many events during Armed Forces Week, where the city of Bremerton pays tribute to all veterans past and present.
"The city of Bremerton is integrated with the military, and this is our way of honoring our veterans and active duty service members," said Greg Wheeler, District 5 council member, City of Bremerton. "They are very important to us. Bremerton is a one-of-a-kind city. We are very welcoming and accepting of the military."
According to Chris Larsen, chairman of the Armed Forces Festival in Bremerton, this armed forces parade is the longest-running parade of its kind in the country. A parade in honor of a local war hero blossomed into a national day for all cities to honor all who have served.
"Sixty-two years ago it started here in Bremerton because of a man named John Bud Hawk, who was a war hero, and for two years this town put on a parade in his honor," said Larsen. "Our nation decided to set aside the third Saturday of May, 60 years ago, to hold up on high, all of the men and women of the armed forces."
Larsen also added that this year's parade has been the largest so far.
"There were 147 different entries in the parade, with each group having anywhere from 10 to 500 people in their respective groups. Approximately 40,000 people lined the streets along the parade route to watch, with nearly 500 volunteers helping with the parade," said Larsen.
Active duty service members who participated in the parade felt a great sense of appreciation for the support the city gives to its military citizens.
"It's an honor to participate in today's parade. Just the idea of being in the largest, longest running Armed Forces Day parade in America is just amazing," said Sonar Technician (Submarine) 1st Class (SS) Zachary Neubauer from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. "It's a good feeling to see the public's support of the military. There are a lot of places that don't have this kind of support, and I guess we're very lucky here in Kitsap County to have this kind of support."
Many veterans also walked the parade route, and they too, were appreciative of the support the city demonstrated.
"Being here is an emotional high," said Signalman 2nd Class Burke Waldron, a Navy veteran who served from 1943 to 1946. "I can't express in words, but it's just a great feeling to see the support for the military. The interaction with the crowd is just great."
Larsen credits the support of the bases throughout the area to help make the parade a success.
"With all of the help and support from Naval Base Kitsap, I just can't tell how over the top this year's parade is. By far, this is the largest," said Larsen. "I don't think there's any other town in America that loves their military more than Bremerton. We should be celebrating Armed Forces Day every day, because we want this to be the number one homeport for all of our service members. This is a safe and happy place, a place that loves and supports the military."
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment