Coming together to celebrate the living and the lost, Norman Parks and Recreation will hold its annual Veterans Day Parade and Memorial Ceremony Sunday at Reaves Park.
Veterans Day is observed yearly on Nov. 11, but the parade is typically held on a Sunday to accommodate community schedules and school events, said Roger Gallagher, chair of the Veterans Committee.
“We try to get it on a Sunday so the families can go, and it's not a working day, and the schools aren’t in because the schools don't close down for Veterans Day,” Gallagher said. “So Sunday gives people who want to go to see the parade and ceremony a chance to come out.”
Gallagher said the event began as a way for the community to show respect for veterans and those who lost their lives in service.
“It's a tradition to honor people whose lives (were lost) during that war and people following,” Gallagher said.
Jud Foster, former director of Norman Parks and Recreation, will serve as master of ceremonies and said the event is one of his favorites each year.
“With all my years in parks and recreation, we did a lot of special events, and this was probably my favorite one,” Foster said. “I have a strong feeling for the military and what they do for our country. … The highlight of the ceremony, I think for me, has always been the end with the playing of taps and ‘Amazing Grace.’”
The event is divided into two parts: the parade, which begins and ends in Reaves Park, and a ceremony that follows to recognize veterans.
According to Foster, a committee of Vmeet throughout the year to plan the event. Gallagher said the committee follows a schedule that’s been in place for about 17 years.
“We start our parade organization at 12:30 p.m. and that gives us an hour and a half to get everybody in line,” Gallagher said. “After an hour and a half, the parade is ready, and then we start the parade. … We have cars for VIPs, the mayor, the speaker, people like that, the MC, (and) the one who's going to sing the anthem.”
This year’s setup will look different due to ongoing construction on Jenkins Avenue, Foster said.
“The parade is going to be contained within Reaves Park,” Foster said. “It'll start on the north end of the park in one of the parking lots and then wind through and around the road that's inside the park and end up at the memorial.”
Gallagher said ending the parade at the memorial adds a meaningful touch to the parade.
“There's that memorial with the eagle — you may have seen it — and that is a memorial to the people who have given their lives, and also for people who were from this area, … mainly in the county, and have their names inscribed on plaques,” Gallagher said.
The Veterans Day Parade and Memorial Ceremony is planned to take place from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Reaves Park.
This story was edited by Madisson Cameron. Andrew Paredes and Avery Avery copy edited this story.
