By Mark Hansel
NKy Tribune Managing Editor
The skies opened up Monday morning but could not discourage the crowd that lined the streets of Florence for the City’s annual Memorial Day Parade and Program.
Matt Anderson of Hebron was on hand to watch his daughter Haley, 13, participate in the parade as a member of the Conner Middle School Marching Band.
“There are a lot of people out here today and I’ve seen a lot of veterans, so this is great,” Anderson said. “It’s really nice that they do this every year.”
“It’s easy to have a parade when the sun shines and the streets are dry,” Whalen said. “Today it was wet and we all got a little soggy, but the streets were still lined with people who were there to pay and tribute to our veterans, members of the military and to those who gave all.”
Whalen was joined onstage by emcee John Salyers, a U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, Reverend Nate Little of Grace of God Ministries Church who gave the invocation and members of the Florence city council.
State Sen. John Schickel, R-Union and State Rep. Addia Wuchner, R-Florence, were also on hand for the ceremony.
In recognition of 2015 as The Year of the Woman Veteran, Retired U.S. Army veteran Angela Worley, gave the keynote speech. Worley recounted the history of women in the U.S. Armed forces, dating back to the American Revolution through 2013, when the ban on women serving in combat roles was officially lifted.
“Today women continue to make strides in the military and knock down barriers,” Worley said. “There are still firsts to come, and still setbacks, success and failures, but throughout the ever-changing evolution of women in the military, one thing will remain the same. Military, women will soldier on, fulfilling the commitment they made when they raised their right hand and swore to defend this great nation.”
In September, Honor Flight Tri-State will recognize women who served in the military by organizing the first Honor Flight comprised exclusively of female veterans.
Kim Brockhoff, an ambassador with Honor Flight-Tri-State, said the group plan’s to send 71 veteran women 65 years or older, and guardians, to Washington D.C.
“All of the guardians are going to be women veterans, too,” Brockhoff said. ” We are recruiting veterans and guardians for the flights right now.”
Information on Honor Flights is available at www.honorflighttristate.org.
Florence City Councilman Mel Carroll said he was happy that the contributions of women in the military were an integral part of the ceremony this year.
“While sometimes their contributions are overlooked, we are glad to be able to recognize it today,” Carroll said. “We had a little liquid sunshine but everybody had a good time.”
Bob Williams, a World War II veteran who parachuted into Normandy on D-Day as a member of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance at the ceremony.
Williams, 92, has been a fixture at the program for years and, despite the rain, rode the parade route in a cart with Whalen. The Independence resident said he is “Not a hero, just an American soldier doing his duty.”
John Missouri, 66, of Erlanger also served in the 101st Airborne for two years during the Vietnam War, beginning in 1967. Missouri said he was there to pay respect to all the veterans who were not able to be there to enjoy the ceremony.
“I lost a lot of friends in Vietnam and I told myself, wherever I am, if there is a Memorial Day ceremony, I will be there.”