Memorial Day parade will honor heroes with ceremony

Downtown Sarasota will be bathed in red, white and blue, Monday, May 28, for the annual Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony. The theme for this year’s parade is “A Nation Forever Grateful,” and the parade will pay special tribute to the heroic men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee is extending a special invitation to veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom to be the first civilian unit in the parade. Those who can help locate Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in the area should contact Jerry Derrick at 861-2899 with the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee.

Dan Kunkel, a member of the Patriotic Observer Committee, reported that approximately 1,000 people and 30 groups will participate in the parade, including veterans service organizations, law-enforcement agencies, marching bands, color guards, fire departments and more.

The keynote speaker will be Scott Bill, a local builder, whose son, Brian, died in August in Afghanistan. Brian Bill was among 22 Navy Seals who died in the largest single-day loss of life for the Navy Seals. Brian Bill was highly decorated with four Bronze Star medals with valor, a Purple Heart and two Combat Action Ribbons. Scott Bill recently attended the Knights of Columbus Patriotic Ball in place of his son as one of the five honorees for the annual event. Scott Bill spoke at the Veterans Day ceremony in November after accepting a proclamation from the city honoring his son.

“It is still very tough (to talk about my son) and it will be for a long time,” Scott Bill said. “But, I want to do it, and I want to express myself and help others to try and remember so that they are not forgotten.”

He noted that although reflecting on those who made the ultimate sacrifice is hard, it is also important to realize the sacrifices the families of those who have died have made.

“It is a difficult time for spouses and families,” he said.

The parade will start at 10 a.m. on the corner of Main Street and Osprey Avenue and continue through downtown Sarasota, ending at Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park at Main Street and Gulfstream Avenue. The ceremony is expected to begin at approximately 11 a.m.

The public is encouraged to attend the parade and the ceremony.

IF YOU GO
Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony
The Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 28, has a theme this year: “A Nation Forever Grateful.” The parade begins at 10 a.m. along Main Street, starting at Osprey Avenue in downtown Sarasota. High School marching bands, ROTC units, veterans groups, scouts, civic groups, elected officials and more will participate. There will be a ceremony, after the parade, at J.D. Hamel Park on Gulfstream Avenue, beginning at 11 a.m.