Posted on 05/25/2013 6:55:52 AM PDT by raccoonradio
BEVERLY (CBS) – This Sunday, the streets of Beverly will look just like they always do. And that’s the problem, some veterans say. The city has cancelled its annual Memorial Day parade for what’s believed to be the first time since the end of the Civil War.
Many veterans who were gathered at the Herman A. Spear American Legion Post on Friday night are upset by the decision.
“It’s not right to me,” says Ron Innocenti. He is a Vietnam veteran who has not only marched in the city’s Memorial Day parade in the past, he says he has also been its grand marshal.
He hates to cancel because of the message it sends to men and women serving now.
“It’s a slap in the face to them that we’re not doing it,” he says. “But on the other hand, I can see why we’re not doing it because of the age of the veterans we have now.”
That gets to the heart of the problem. In Beverly, there just are not enough veterans alive who are well enough to march in the parade anymore.
“Most of us, like myself, either have some knee issues or foot issues or whatever,” explains Jerry Guilebbe, the city’s Director of Veterans’ Services. “Just getting down the street to march” can be difficult if not impossible, he says.
Innocenti agrees. “We try and try,” he says. “When we were younger we used to march everywhere, but we can’t do it anymore.”
As for younger veterans – like the men and women who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan – they are often too busy to take part.
“I’ve found just talking with them,” explains Guilebbe , “they’re emergency medical technicians, firefighters, police. They’re first responders, so traditionally that’s their day to work so it’s hard to get them to come out and actually participate.”
In years past, numbers have fallen so low that for 2013, organizers decided to just have everyone meet here at Odell Park for a ceremony.
It’ll be a proper gathering, it just won’t be a parade.
“It’s very disappointing to me; I think it’s a shame,” says Robert Driscoll, a local veteran who served in Korea. “Hopefully maybe next year we can change that.”
City officials think that’s possible. If enough veterans come forward to participate, or if the city can come up with another way to have them be a part of the parade, then the city will bring it back.
Since the parade is for rembrance and honor of our military, that is the prime purpose for the marching. Our little town in NJ has about 7000+ people and has the usual bands and scout troops, etc. there are usually less than 10 veterans marching, if that. But the ceremony with the reading of the names of those who served, and the playing of taps, is the main reason for the gathering.
The few veterans in Beverly could be on a float, as a FReeper suggested, and be there with their townsmen to honor their heros. Not to do it makes the day meaningless.
...yet Beverly, MA had thousands of people turn out for a parade a couple of weeks ago for the young lady on American Idol who grew up there. This country is in big, big trouble!
I meant to add that it is important for the young people in town to understand the day. Would they go to a ceremony only? Having the hoopla of marching with cheering onlookers, brings whole families out. They would be there for the ceremonial part of the event, and get an understanding of why they are there in the first place.
Where is Beverly?
I gave up asking for clarification. I can’t take the chastisement.
but if it’s in the NE that could explain it.
“Where is Beverly?
I gave up asking for clarification. I can’t take the chastisement.
but if it’s in the NE that could explain it.”
Beverly is about a half-an-hour northeast of Boston. Nearby to Salem and the Cape Ann Peninsula. I do believe this parade issue had a lot to do with poor planning. We went to the Patriot’s day Parade in Lexington, MA for the first time this year and it was very long and very well done. Lot’s of Veterans Groups, including m,any, many military vehicles were on display. The people in Beverly need to talk to the parade organizers in Lexington!
Good to hear.
Indeed and I’m surprised my city didn’t ask the legislature for permission to change its name to Angie Miller, Massachusetts.
I doubt there’s a lack of veterans, and for certain there isn’t a lack of active duty people. This is the politically (incorrect) correct people and their agenda at work.
The parade would be a great thing even if there were no military service members present, because it’s a thank you, not a fashion show.
Our military is a necessity. It needs to be honored for us, not just people who have been in one of our armed services.
I’m running up the bullshiite flag on your comment. I’ve been a member of the VFW since 1993 when I returned from Somalia. I was a young Sgt at the time. What my buddies and I found when we joined was an attitude from the older guys that we didn’t belong. The Viet Nam guys took us in with open arms, but the WWII and Korean vets were very condecending towards us. Things have started to change as the WWII and Korean vets are passing away and we are getting Iraq and Afghanistan vets joining. I haven’t seen any of the “War on Terror” guys just looking for a handout. They are just as much involved and in many cases more so than many of the older vets.
I hate to tell you this but most of those old Veterans did not want the younger ones in any of the Veteran’s organizations, those organizations are usually in charge of parades and things like that. Vietnam Veterans did care when they came home and were told by the WWII, and Korean Veterans that Vietnam was not a “real” war, they were not made welcome by older Veterans. When the WWII guys got old enough that they could not do the organization work- then they tried to recruit the Vietnam Veterans in the last several years. Some have joined, my brother is very involved now with Veteran activities- my hubby has the attitude that he wasn’t wanted before so he has no interest now.
I have noticed that the younger Veterans are overwhelmingly in law enforcement and EMS, firefighting so that part is likely also true that they are busy. I imagine the younger Veterans feel no connection to the Veteran’s organizations since if their fathers, uncles, etc. were Vietnam Veterans they were not likely involved.
It is true that memorial day is to remember the dead, but most parades had Veteran’s in them to remember/honor the dead that served in the military. It is odd there was not enough people other than Veterans to have a parade without them- maybe in that town the whole parade was Veterans but Memorial Day parades I have been to have all sorts of entries and the Veterans are usually just one entry.
I have also noticed that people seem to be losing interest in parades in general so that may play a part.
I had my membership card in hand and presented it after I rang the buzzer and the door opened. Some bass turd auxiliary member proceeded to tell me it was a "private club" and I wasn't allowed in. After I asked him why I couldn't enter the grounds of an organization I had to go through hell and pay dues to belong to, he begrudgingly allowed me to the bar. But, he made sure to let me know that everyone knows everyone around here and that's just the way it is with outsiders - it's "their club" (which neither him nor the group he was with were veterans...just guys that were there because their daddies had been veterans) .
I tried to strike conversation with some of the others at the bar but was treated as an outsider.
The post in my town in VA never seemed open except to host BINGO. The other posts I've been to were full of non-veterans and old timers that only wanted to ignore you or matter-of-factly tell you how stupid 'you young kids fight today.' (tactics; not ROEs).
The only thing the VFW ever seemed good for was asking me to renew membership and give other donations.
No thanks.
I see you’re out in Arizona. I’m reporting what I see in FL.
Your experience is largely different from mine - not wrong, just different. Count yourself lucky in that regard; the climate down here is worse.
We LIVE Veteran’s also honor those of our brothers an sisters who paid the ultimate price. IMO, by those of us still alive and atetnd Memorial Day services, parades, etc. IS honoring those who have gone before us and we live vetern’s haven’t forgotten them.
Sorry for my bad spelling, I didn’t proof read my previous post.
...”Floats. Let the older ones ride and wave”....
That’s exactly right! Get them out there regardless....and contact the younger vets to tell them...get their butts out there!
The Post, 507, which I joined when I got out treated us like pariahs, we moved to another Post. The guys I joined with probably had more time in actual, face to face, combat, than half the clowns in the Post.
Very true. I have a number of old comrades whom Time has taken from me. I’ll raise a glass to them.
One of our local vets — the oldest Army Air Corps survivor around here (in his mid 90s) was in every parade — not just Memorial Day, but 4th of July, etc. He always rode in a place of honor near the start of the Parade in a Jeep with the top down, a convertible, a fire truck, or some eye-catching vehicle just behind the flags. The whole town would wave and call out to him. We won’t have him this year, as he went home to the Lord in the past yeat. It will be sad.
No bad Karma from here. I didn’t know where Beverly was either.
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