Monroe hosting Veterans Day Parade Nov. 12
For the first time in recent history, Monroe will host a Veterans Day Parade.
The event is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12 and will begin at St. Mary’s Park with a procession ending at the River Raisin Battlefield Visitor Center about a mile away at N. Dixie Hwy.
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Organizer Wayne Blank, an Air Force veteran from the Vietnam era who is involved in numerous organizations, said he felt honoring the men and women of the military was needed in Monroe.
“We have a parade for everything else, why can’t we have one for veterans?” he said. “It’s been long overdue.”
Grand Marshal will be James Baltrip, who is 102 years old and a WWII veteran. He served with the Army’s 1st Infantry Division and was part of the second wave of D-Day at Omaha Beach, where the fighting was brutal.
In an interview with The Monroe News, Baltrip said when he made it to the beach, the bodies were piled “like stacks of cordwood” and the water of the English Channel had turned bloody red.
Baltrip fought in many battles during the war in Europe, including four major campaigns such as the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne and defending the bridge at Remagen in Germany. Baltrip said he credited the hand of God for protecting him during those battles.
About 15 to 20 various organizations, such as the American Legion and the VFW Color Guard, will participate in the parade, including the Jefferson High School marching band. Blank said all veterans who served are encouraged to participate in the parade.
The march will conclude at the Monroe Exchange Club’s Field of Honor where the flags are flying. At the conclusion of the parade, several veteran dignitaries will speak but the keynote speaker is Curtis Garland, pastor of East Ida Immanuel Lutheran Church.
Garland, 62, is a Navy veteran. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1982 from the United States Naval Academy and his Aviation Safety Degree in 1995 from Naval Postgraduate School. He retired from the Navy after 24 years as a U.S. Naval Officer.
He and his wife, Lu Ann, have three children and four grandchildren. He was called as pastor in Ida in 2016.
Brian Merkle, program chair with the Exchange Club, said the service is encouraging more youths to get involved with the parade and other community organizations. He added that it was natural for the Exchange Club to be involved with the Veterans Day Parade, which could be the first in Monroe.
"We encourage patriotism to our youth," Merkle said. "We owe a great deal of debt to our veterans."
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe hosting Veterans Day Parade Nov. 12
