Worcester's Veterans Day parade almost doubles in length with larger turnout

Veer Mudambi, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
·2 min read
Military units march at the start of the parade at Grove and North streets.
Military units march at the start of the parade at Grove and North streets.

WORCESTER - Worcester's Veterans Day parade was almost doubled in length from previous years, beginning near Oak Barrel Tavern at North and Grove streets and ending at Lincoln Square.

"We had a lot of support this year and it just magnified," said Veterans Inc. Human Resources Manager Arlanna Colonies.

The 11 a.m. parade was preceded by a pancake breakfast and speaking portion at the Veterans Inc. building on Grove Street by several city and state officials, including Mayor Joseph Petty, Councilors-at-Large Khrystian King and Kate Toomey, and local state Reps. James O'Day, D-West Boylston, and David LeBoeuf, D-Worcester.

Military units march at the start of the parade at Grove and North streets.
Military units march at the start of the parade at Grove and North streets.

"It's a terrific turnout today," said O'Day. "It's wonderful to see so many young people here, which I think is very important for us to reemphasize to young folks the importance of veterans, not just for today but to keep in mind how much our country has had to rely on citizens to make that supreme sacrifice."

Mayor Joseph Petty speaks at the veterans memorial at Lincoln Square at the Worcester Veterans Day parade.
Mayor Joseph Petty speaks at the veterans memorial at Lincoln Square at the Worcester Veterans Day parade.

This was also Joseph Robinson's first Veterans Day as Worcester's new director of veterans services, having started work near the beginning of the month. Robinson plans to continue growing the Veterans Day festivities, involving more community groups and returning the parade to its former glory.

Joseph Robinson, Worcester's new director of veterans services, at the Veterans Day pancake breakfast at Veterans Inc. in Worcester.
Joseph Robinson, Worcester's new director of veterans services, at the Veterans Day pancake breakfast at Veterans Inc. in Worcester.

"I would like to see the Veterans Day parade expand," he said. "It's bigger this year but I hear 10 to 20 years ago it used to be huge." One of his ideas is to involve more community groups such as having the bands from each school participate in the parade.

Robinson's biggest priority is to ensure that all veterans in the area are aware of the services available to them. "A lot of times, I encountered veterans that don't know these services exist," he said. "To all my fellow veterans, just know that these services are here, and if we can't do it, we will route them to organizations that can give them assistance. Massachusetts by far, is No. 1 in veterans services."

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Veterans Day parade grows in length, turnout