CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

EDITORIAL: Honor veterans at Armed Forces Day Parade

McAlester News-Capital - 4/25/2022

Apr. 25—Let's celebrate and honor military veterans in an upcoming parade marking its 75th anniversary.

Armed Forces Day activities in downtown McAlester include plans for a luncheon, a parade with several entries including the 77th U.S. Army Military Band band from Fort Sill, fly-overs from a U.S. Navy jet and the Tulsa War Birds, and more.

This all sounds like a ton of fun for our community — but it's also a way to show military veterans our appreciation.

"When you fill this thing up, it's a homage to the veterans of our community," said Armed Forces Day Committee Chairman Jeff Wolf.

This year marks the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Armed Forces participation in McAlester. The U.S. Navy is being honored in this year's theme for the festivities that highlights the military branch's core values of "Honor, Courage and Commitment."

U.S. Navy Captain Cedrick L. Jessup is the keynote speaker for the AFD Luncheon scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 6, at the Scottish Rite Temple, at Second Street and Washington Avenue in McAlester. Doors open at 11 a.m.

The Armed Forces Day Parade is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 7, in downtown McAlester.

Plans for the event saw changes in recent years. The global COVID-19 pandemic led organizers to cancel the parade in 2020 before bringing it back last year — but this year's Armed Forces Day Luncheon will be the first one in three years.

The luncheon returns to a different setting at the Scottish Rite Temple as this year marks the first for the Indian Chapter of the Scottish Rite to host Armed Forces Day events in McAlester. Wolf said the Indian Chapter of the Scottish Rite stepped up to take on the event after the McAlester Chamber of Commerce's Executive Board voted not to handle the Armed Forces Day activities this year.

We applaud the Indian Chapter of the Scottish Rite for taking on the event to ensure we can continue honoring our community's military history.

Parade entrants are free this year — and participants include U.S. Navy Special Weapons, the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, the Mid-Del Junior ROTC Color Guard, the reigning Miss McAlester and Miss McAlester Outstanding Teen, the Girl Scouts, the Coalgate High School Band and more.

Entry forms are available through email at mcalesterafd@gmail.com. Completed forms can be returned by email to the same address of mcalesterafd@gmail.com, he said,

Completed entry forms can also be sent by regular mail to: Attn: McAlester Armed Forces Day Parade / Scottish Rite Temple; P.O. Box 609; McAlester, OK; 74502.

Entries must be returned by May 2.

Our community has a deep military history and we hope everyone takes time to honor our veterans.

—McAlester News-Capital Editorial Board

___

(c)2022 the McAlester News-Capital (McAlester, Okla.)

Visit the McAlester News-Capital (McAlester, Okla.) at mcalesternews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.