Veterans honored with parade in Slidell Sunday

Veterans Day will be celebrated a bit early this year as the organization, Veterans Celebrate Freedom stage their second annual Slidell Veterans Day Parade Sunday afternoon.

This year’s parade will honor all veterans who fought in the Korean War. Last year’s parade honored veterans of World War II. The parade starts at Slidell High School at 1 p.m. Sunday and will wind down Gause Boulevard to Front Street, then to Pontchartrain Drive and finish at Salmen High School on Spartan Drive.

Sharon DeBouchel, parade captain said that a reviewing stand would be set up at the corner of Erlanger and Front streets.

The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Band and Color Guard will lead off the parade. There will be four floats in the parade. The first float is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Father Selas Assembly; the second will have members of American Legion Post 374 and the Naval Fleet Reserve Association Post 222. The third float will be with veterans of American Legion Post 185, and the fourth float will have members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5735 and the Slidell Noon Lions Club.

In between the floats will be lots of bands and marchers. ROTC classes from Lakeshore High, Salmen High, Slidell High, Northshore High, St. Paul’s and the Jesuit ROTC band and color guard will be strutting their stuff. Also the St. Augustine Marching Band and the Pearl River High band and cheerleader squad will be in the parade along with the Our Lady of Lourdes Dance Team and members of Creative Dance.

DeBouchel said the big highlight will be 46 Korean War veterans riding in 46 classic Corvettes donated by the Confederation Corvette Club. Also in that number will be a Textron Armored Service Vehicle, and two Army Blackhawk helicopters will make a fly by during the parade.

DeBouchel said there are more than 27,000 veterans in St. Tammany Parish and everybody should come out and celebrate what these men and women have done for their country.

“This is our second year, but will continue it forever,” DeBouchel said. “Our veterans deserve it.”