Veterans group to lead Taunton's Christmas Parade
TAUNTON – “A simple ‘thank you’ is just not enough for this honor. What this tells us is we have been successful at what we have been doing all these years. We’ve made a difference,” said Dennis Proulx, vice president and one of the founding members of the Taunton Area Vietnam Veterans Association (TAVVA), in response to the organization being announced as the Grand Marshal for this year’s Taunton Christmas Parade.
Members of TAVVA gathered inside City Council Chambers the morning of Tuesday, November 14, to meet with Mayor Shaunna O’Connell and the Christmas Parade Committee to go over details on the organization’s inclusion for this year.
AJ Marshall, commissioner for Parks & Recreation, and member of the Christmas Parade Committee, explained “one of the hardest things for us is selecting the Grand Marshal,” saying they get a large number of candidates’ names nominated by the public and officials for the honor.
It was Mayor O’Connell who recommended TAVVA to the Parade Committee as a candidate for this year.
“You do so much for our community and have given so much, that honoring all of you is the greatest honor we can have this Christmas season,” said O’Connell to TAVVA.
Marshall, speaking on behalf of the Parade Committee, agreed, saying “Respect, honor, class, and dignity are four words to describe the group.”
Don't want anyone forgetting
Officially established in 1983 by five Vietnam War veterans and one Korean War veteran, the Taunton Area Vietnam Veterans Association is dedicated to improving conditions for veterans, promoting education on the Vietnam War, assisting veterans and their families, and ensuring the continued remembrance of all fallen and missing soldiers, according to a press release from the Mayor’s Office.
Proulx explained the creation of TAVVA started as a reaction to Vietnam Veterans, such as himself, not being treated with the same level of respect as other veterans, as result of the negative perception the war received.
“We weren’t being treated well, and there was no reason for it,” he said. “We don’t want anybody forgetting Vietnam. We were sent over there. We did our job. We’re not going to forget the 58,000 [American soldiers] who died, and the thousands still missing in action.”
Proulx said most members of TAVVA, around 80 members, came from and still do belong to other veterans’ groups, like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disable American Veterans (DAV), and The American Legion. He also said the organization consists of veterans from other wars, as well as non-veterans.
Always helping and educating
Among events organized and activities engaged in, TAVVA hosts POW/MIA Remembrance Day for the City in March and a subsequent POW/MIA vigil in the fall, places wreaths on veterans’ graves for Memorial Day, is involved in numerous flag-raising ceremonies, such as Veterans Day, throughout the year, and issues college scholarships annually.
Proulx said a big accomplishment for TAVVA this year was working to get fallen Vietnam war hero and Taunton resident Lance Corporal Raymond Roland LaPointe the recognition he deserves with a special dedication to him incorporated at East Taunton Elementary School.
In addition to new signage recognizing LaPointe, the school will also have a memorial display area comprised of photos, a written biography and stories about LaPointe from soldiers who knew him.
“It’s meant to educate the students on the sacrifices of veterans for their country. It will be utilized for them to get the education they need,” said Arthur A. Deponte, Jr., member of TAVVA.
Christmas City
As Grand Marshal, Taunton Area Vietnam Veterans Association will lead the Christmas Parade, which will be held on Sunday, Dec. 3, beginning at noon. The parade procession will start at 239 Broadway and end at City Hall, 15 Summer St.
AJ Marshall said choosing a group over an individual for Grand Marshal of the parade isn’t a new thing.
In 2007, with the parade theme being ‘Home for the Holidays,” active members of the military residing in Taunton were chosen as Grand Marshal.
In 2013, with the theme being ‘100th Lighting of the Green,’ the city chose surviving former mayors of Taunton to act as Grand Marshal.
The Christmas Parade Committee is still working on determining what vehicle or vehicles TAVVA will be driven in for the event, as well as how many members will be part of the parade.
Said Marshall: “We’ve done trolleys, horse-drawn carriages, convertibles, etc. We take this seriously. We’re the Christmas City.”
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Veterans group to serve as grand marshal of Taunton Christmas Parade
