May 26, 2000
Memorial Day parade to include Air National Guard fly-over
By Jefferson Wolfe
Staff Writer
A fly-over by Air National Guard planes after Tiffin's Memorial Day parade has been confirmed, as long as the weather is good.
The fly-over is to happen about 11 a.m., retired Army Gen. David Einsel said at Thursday's Operation Liberty Committee meeting. The committee is planning the Memorial Day parade, ceremony and other festivities.
The airplanes will come from an Air National Guard unit from Mansfield, Einsel said.
The parade will begin at 10 a.m. Parade entries will leave the area of St. Joseph Catholic Church and travel north on Washington Street. There will be a flag-raising ceremony at the courthouse, and the parade will continue to Veterans Memorial Bridge on Washington Street.
Committee member Bill Peusey said there are 33 entries in the parade. There will be about 45 people leading the way in the honor guard, committee member Steve Tanner said.
"That's an awful lot of participation for an honor guard," he said. "We've never had that many before."
During the parade, the city has banned parking on Washington Street from St. Joseph Church to Veterans Memorial Bridge, Police Chief Tom Steyer said. Cars parked along the parade route will be at risk of being towed, he said. Parking will be restored after the parade.
Roger Ardner, a Boy Scout leader, said the youths will carry an American flag that measures 30 feet by 50 feet. If there are cars parked along the street, the flag cannot be unfurled completely, he said. The flag flew over Jacobs Field in Cleveland two years ago.
After the parade, about 11 a.m., there will be a ceremony at Monument Square on Frost Parkway. All veterans are to be honored, but for 2000 those who fought in World War II and Korea are to be highlighted. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Korean War.
Archie M. Thomas, a retired Heidelberg professor, is to be the featured speaker. He has many community involvements and is a veteran of World War II, having served in North Africa and Italy. Thomas entered combat north of Naples, Italy, and was in combat until the end of the Italian Campaign. He received a battlefield commission from Gen. Mark Clark.
Arthur M. Geyh is to give the invocation and the benediction for the service. He is a retired chaplain for the Tiffin Developmental Center who was honorably discharged from the Navy after serving on the USS Chanango during World War II.
Following the ceremony, Tiffin's Army reserve unit, Detachment 1 of the the 79th Quartermaster Company, is to provide tents for displays near Smith Family Frosted Foods, 62 N. Monroe St. The committee has secured memorabilia for displays from various wars.
Some of the 79th's soldiers will be working all weekend getting equipment ready and getting the tents set up, Sgt. Gene Bowen said.
"They're excited about it," he said.
The displays will not be open to the public until after the ceremony, but will include the collection of pictures of war veterans that has been compiled. Committee member J. Philip Engle said there will be 1,000-1,200 pictures of veterans.
The 79th also is to provide an Army field kitchen which will be preparing a breakfast meal &emdash; to include creamed chipped beef &emdash; for about 350 people after the ceremony. The committee has said that it would like the veterans to get the first chance to eat from the field kitchen, but also would like to include others, if possible.
"We're trying not to turn anybody away," Committee Chairman Jim White said.