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By Leon G. Russ
HOMETOWN NEWS
The rains from Hurricane Ida had subsided but her winds still whistled through Spartanburg’s streets as citizens lined Church Street to watch the annual Veteran’s Day parade on Wednesday, November 11.
Those gusting winds buffeted the numerous American flags held in tiny hands, carried by strong young arms of ROTC cadets, clutched in wrinkled and weathered hands of veterans, planted by businesses lining Church Street and even strung from a crane.
The grey day reduced the turnout of both participants and parade-goers but as one veteran noted, “rain never stopped us from completing our mission, it certainly isn’t going to stop us from marching in a parade.”
Children lined the streets wide-eyed watching the motorcycles, military vehicles and troops make their way down Church Street.
Many held flags in their hands and struggled to keep hold of them while scampering after the candy thrown from the cars and trucks that passed by.
As a unit made its way up the street a soldier stopped and presented candy to seven-year-old John Neely Bishop.
If any World War II vet had seen the sight it surely would have recalled numerous similar encounters more than sixty years ago when American GI’s were famously known for dispensing Hershey chocolate bars to children as they liberated Europe from the Nazis.
It certainly was the highlight of John Neely’s day. He ran to his mother who was waiting in a warm van telling her of his encounter with the soldier.
Joy Bishop said, “He was excited to get candy from a soldier with a real machine gun.”
Joy explained the family comes out every year to the parade. Speaking from the warm van parked in Sonny’s parking lot she said, “We usually are over there by the (United Methodist) church but it was so cold this year and a spot opened up here.”
While she remained in the van, her husband, Barry stood with John Neely throughout the parade. Both held American flags in hand, both waved at all the participants in the parade.
Barry noted, “We come out every year to honor the vets and show we appreciate them.” John Neely quickly added, “My pop and his daddy both were in the Navy,” as he continued to wave his flag.
Also found along the parade route was Stanley O. Drummond a veteran who served in the United States Marine Corps from 1984 to 1990.
Drummond was wearing his Marine Corps dress blue hat and rose out of his wheelchair early in the parade to render a salute to the colors and the vets passing by. Soon enough he was forced to render his salute from his chair.
Drummond was proud to note his service and the service of his father who did “two tours in Vietnam.”
He explained he had earlier listened to “President Barack Obama’s Veteran’s Day address on the radio and that’s when I heard the parade was still going on.”
While many other communities rescheduled or cancelled their parades this one braved the storm, as have our troops throughout our nation’s history.
And the annual Veteran’s Day Parade once again united the community, from World War II Silver Star recipient Richard B. Harris, the Parade Grand Marshall of the Parade, down to youngsters like John Neely lining the route.
lruss@hometown-news.com
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