Veterans Day parade to roll Sunday in Slidell

By Anne Lautzenheiser
St. Tammany News
Published on Friday, November 7, 2008 10:20 AM CST

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There’s almost nothing Louisiana does better than a parade, and Sunday dozens of local groups will take to the streets of Slidell to honor our nation’s military in the Northshore’s first Veteran’s Day Parade.

Organized by the group Veterans Celebrate Freedom, the parade will roll at 1 p.m. from Slidell High School on Tiger Drive and wind its way down Front Street and Pontchartrain Drive, ending up at Salmen High School on Spartan Drive.

At least 200 veterans from all branches of the armed forces are expected to participate, with an estimated 400 active duty members of the military on hand as well.

(Use arrows above to view more photos)

“The parade will honor living veterans as well as those who have passed on,” said Will Rachal, acting chair of Veterans Celebrate Freedom. “We’d like people to participate just by coming out to watch the parade.”

ROTC units and marching bands from several local high schools will participate as well. In addition, both local American Legion posts, the VFW, Lions Club and the Knights of Columbus are slated to march.

The event started out as the community service project of Rachal’s Leadership Northshore group last year.

With the help of Louisiana Sens. A.G. Crowe and Jack Donohue, a proclamation from the state Senate in recognition of the parade will be sent to Washington, D.C., to federal veterans officials that both state and local governments validate the effort.

This inaugural parade will honor veterans of World War II, and each subsequent year’s parade will pay tribute to a different era, such as Vietnam, Korea, the Gulf Wars, and so on.

For more information, go to www.veteranscelebratefreedom.org.

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