Memorial Day parade, ceremony to honor veterans

By: 
MEGAN LINSKI

Col. Gary Bush

Tecumseh will honor veterans who have served the United States, and remember those who have sacrificed their lives defending freedom on Memorial Day, which takes place on Monday, May 30. At 9:40 a.m. the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion auxiliaries will place a wreath at City Hall. The parade will begin from there at 10 a.m. Tecumseh High School’s (THS) marching band will provide music, along with Plymouth Fife and Drum Corps.

Parade marshal Gary Naugle organized the parade. “I think this is going to be one of our better ones,” Naugle said. “We’ve put a lot of hard work into it and so we’re really proud of it.”

The parade will travel west on Chicago Boulevard from City Hall to Union Street, and then turn north onto Brookside Cemetery for services. Eighty-two units will be participating in the Memorial Day parade. Kids can decorate their bikes and ride them in the parade. Participants need to meet at the Tecumseh Middle School by 9 a.m. Last year, over 200 children participated in the parade.

Veterans are welcome to join the parade and walk with their fellow former soldiers. Families of those who have served or are currently served in the military are also invited to walk in the parade to support their loved ones. Those interested should assemble at City Hall at 9 a.m.

There will be a flyover of World War II T6 aircrafts over the festivities, which will land at the Tecumseh Mills Airport, formerly Tecumseh Products Airport. Aircrafts come from Indiana, Milford, Holland and other various locations. Visitors can see the planes up close at Mills Airport from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. before the parade begins.

Services at the cemetery begin after the parade. THS graduate Wade Ondrovick will begin the ceremony at Brookside by singing “God Bless America.” A welcome will be given by Mayor Jack Baker, with an invocation by Pastor Gordy Peterson of Gloria Dei Church. From there, Ondrovick will sing the National Anthem, and city manager Dan Swallow will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Tim Scheurer will give the bugle call “To the Colors” during the placing of the wreaths. Colonel Gary Bush will be speaking, with historian Bob Elliot. Colonel Bush is a native of Tecumseh who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and multiple other parts of the United States and the world. He currently serves in Indianapolis as the State Command Inspector General for the Indiana National Guard.

The flag ceremony is dedicated to local veterans Donald Maves, who served in the Korean War, and Jay Tressler, who served in both the Korean and Vietnam War. Dedication of the flags to Maves and Tressler will be given by Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ralph Bird, Special Forces Group Dawn Bird, Sergeant Bryan Shadley, Sergeant Michael Young and Sergeant Derek Shadley. The benediction will be given by Pastor Peterson and a 21 Gun Salute, as well as TAPS, will be given by the VFW and American Legion auxiliaries. Alex Spear will conclude the ceremony with “Amazing Grace,” with Tom Kennedy and Richard Burton on bagpipes.

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Tecumseh Herald

 

110 E. Logan St.
P.O. Box 218
Tecumseh, MI 49286
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