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Fifth annual parade and ceremony honor area veterans

Community residents gathered around the historic Manchester town square, some waving small American flags and others wearing veterans ball caps and other military insignia as the City of Manchester celebrated its veterans Saturday, Nov. 11 with a parade and ceremony.

The morning officially kicked off with a parade at 10 a.m., stepping off from the Coffee County Raider Academy and winding its way through Manchester. The parade was followed with a memorial ceremony at 11 a.m.

V.F.W. Post 10904 Commander Kim King said the Veterans Day program is now in its fifth year.

“We had never done it before, but the public should really have a day where they recognize veterans,” she said during the event. “I noticed that the public really loves to show their patriotism as well and this is a great way to get everybody involved.”

“It gives us a means to do that in a fun spirited way,” King added.

Retired Manchester Fire Department Chief Sam Miller could be seen wearing a colorful U.S. Marines football jersey, speaking with fellow veterans in the minutes leading up to the parade.

“I was in from 1971 until 1991 and retired as Chief Warrant Officer 3, I was crash, fire and rescue in the United States Marines,” Miller said.

Miller said he believes it is important for a community to properly honor those who served their country.

“It is only about 1% I think that (actively) serve and it is good for everyone to get out and see everybody too,” he said. “The older veterans particularly. The Vietnam veterans are getting older and older.”

The ceremony was opened with an invocation by Chaplain Bob Brinkman, which was followed by the singing of the National Anthem by Bob Mullins with V.F.W. Post 10194’s Operation Joy and then the Pledge of Allegiance by American Heritage Girls Troup 314.

The 2023 edition of the Veteran’s Day Parade and Ceremony put a special emphasis on remembering the nation’s World War II veterans. John Wright, a World War II U.S. Navy veteran served as the Grand Marshal of the parade.

During the ceremony, Master of Ceremonies and featured speaker Jack Angelo recognized Wright for his service.

“John Write served the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II,” Angelo said. “He went off to boot camp in May 1945 and then he was assigned to a destroyer out in the Pacific. His mission was to find, mark and stand by and help clear mine fields in the Pacific and prepare for the invasion of Japan.”

That invasion would not happen, as the Japanese surrendered in August 1945.

Wright was discharged with the rank of Senior First Class during the Spring of 1946.

During Saturday’s ceremony, Wright was presented with a plaque commemorating his service and 74-year member of the American Legion.

During his speech, Angelo spoke of his biological grandfather, a World War II veteran he never met.

“With the numbers of World War II veterans dwindling each day, I think it is a great tribute to remember our veterans, particularly that served in World War II, as well as all the veterans,” he said. “I would like to start out my remarks by publicly thanking a person that I have never met, my biological grandfather. Through the miracles of DNA testing, I found out I am a full-blooded Irishman that was adopted into an Italian family.”

Angelo said there is much he has come to admire and respect about his grandfather, including his dedication to serving his community following the close of World War II.

“Today we honor the brave men and women, veterans, who have served our nation in the United States Armed Forces and I am reminded of the deep and enduring bonds that are forged by the individuals who have shared the unique experience of military service,” he said.

The Coffee County Historical Society, located within the historic Coffee County Courthouse, also participated during the event with a new exhibit highlighting the community’s World War II veterans.

Volunteer Sandra McMullin Bennett said crafting the exhibit has been a labor of love.

“We have a scrapbook that was dropped off, don’t know who did it, but back in the 1940s they had taken every soldiers article from The Manchester Times, cut it out and put it in that scrapbook,” she said. “There must be at least 100 to 150 in there.”

Bennett said the Historical Society was able to copy pages from the scrapbook and display them inside the courthouse.

“We tried to represent the best we could some that died in the war, some that were awarded medals in the war, some that were families that went,” she said. “We have one thing that shows us that there were five brothers that went from one family.”

Bennett said the veterans exhibit is the first new exhibit in The Joanna Lewis Museum since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are really proud of it and proud to be able to show this to the veterans and be a part of that process,” Bennett said.