Veterans Day Parade - Bangor, ME - November 12, 2007

The Veterans Day Parade went off without a hitch. I dressed in my favorite mufti: long black Navy raincoat with a zipped in/out fleece lining, medals, ribbons, dark warm chino pants, Navy Retired ball cap, with my NCVA and NCVANE pins affixed by the patch, warm leather fleece lined gloves, sturdy New Balance walking shoes, and my coveted Galen Cole 'walking stick'.

I drove over to Brewer and parked in the parking lot to await Dave Phaneuf who was driving in from West Gouldsboro (near where the USNSGA Winter Harbor base used to be). We had exchanged cell phone numbers. He parked in Bangor where the parade would end. I parked in Brewer where the parade would begin.

While waiting for Dave, I talked with a number of veterans. One, a USN Retired vet (1993), asked if I got my Purple Heart in Viet Nam. I told him "no - I got it while on an intelligence vessel in the Med - the USS LIBERTY - it was attacked by Israel". He took off his glove, and took my hand and said, "I remember the event. I want to thank you for your service and I'm happy that you are alive so that I could say that to you." (I was almost in tears by then). I thanked him. He remembered the event. He went on to say that he lived up near Cherryfield, Maine (further north past Winter Harbor), and knew a Navy guy there. Right away I suspected who it might be, so I said, "Layton?" He said, "Yes. Do you know him?" I said, "Yes - I know Jim Layton, a USS PUEBLO survivor!" He converses with Jim now and then. (Small world).

A Maine state legislator stopped to shake my hand and we talked. I was standing by my truck, which has the Purple Heart license plates on it. He looked at my Purple Heart and said, "Viet Nam?" I said, "No - the Med. I was on an intelligence vessel which got attacked by……" [I never finished because he said USS LIBERTY]. He knew all about it. He was a history teacher at the school in Brewer and said he was incensed when it happened. He was the state legislator who got the Maine Purple Heart plates passed through the state government.

Dave showed up, and we moved over to the forming up line. We decided to walk with the Korean Vets (since we qualify). On Memorial Day 2007, we walked with the Viet Nam Vets. I met a retired Marine enlisted man, who happens to live one town away from me, and knew about the USS LIBERTY. Over the years, most people have no recollection about the event, but in less than one hour, I met three people who remembered it! But then - these were military folks at one time also. We talked as we walked. I wasn't certain I was going to be able to do the parade route, as it is at least a mile and with my arthritic knees and hip, I was concerned. But I had the walking stick for support, and of course hundreds of vets for support, each of us looking after each other as we ambled along the street. The route was mostly down hill (a slight decline). And we were all basically the same ages or close to it. Seventies at least.

Nearly 200 Vietnam veterans gathered to march in the annual parade Monday, making the event the largest turnout of veterans ever to march in the Bangor-Brewer Veterans Day Parade, according to World War II veteran Galen Cole of the Cole Land Transportation Museum.

The parade began with the color guard, followed by the VIP auto, a military band, and then "here come the vets!" First the WW II vets, whose numbers are reduced each year. Many rode in the three yellow school busses. Following the WW II vets, marched the Korean Vets. Behind more vehicles, the Viet Nam Vets, and us followed by Afghanistan/Iraq vets.

Before we began, I found Sam (our grandson) who was marching with the Cub Scout Pack 21. I wished him luck and then ran to join the parade.

The parade began, and I welled up with emotion right away. I found it impossible to speak, when the band playing military marches ahead of us (each military service march) got to "Anchors Aweigh". I said to Dave, "They're playing our song!" and we both teared up. Man it was overwhelmingly emotional. Seventy-five veterans of WW II marched along with the 45 Korean War veterans and 200 Vietnam War veterans. About 100 more rode on donated school buses, and five high school bands participated.

I got my act together, and we began our march down the street lined with people on both sides, applauding, saluting, and holding up 'THANK YOU VETERANS' signs. People of all ages. Some standing. Some setting. Little cherubs on the curbs applauding. We waved back and said "thank you for coming out!" They responded with louder applauding. Finally 30 minutes later, the parade got to the Veterans Remembrance Bridge across the Penobscot River, where the parade route would take us from Brewer into Bangor. Thank the sweet Lord in Heaven, that there was NO wind at all during the march. In fact, it was very pleasant. The sun warmed our backsides. Temperatures were in the mid 40s. I was happy to see the intersection ahead after the bridge, knowing that we would be making a right turn, and march down main street into the center of Bangor lined with hundreds of people. I knew at the bottom of the street, we'd pass the reviewing stand with our Maine State Governor, Pastor Robert Carlson (no relation), a Navy Captain, and dignitaries on the stand to review and then disband around the corner.

The parade stopped. We were at the top of the hill looking down into town, with hundreds lining the street. We had a front row seat. First a flyover by the Maine Air National Guard KC-135 aerial tanker, with boom extended and down. On the reviewing stand stood World War II veteran Charles Shay, recently returned from Washington, D.C., where he received France's highest civil and military tribute, the Legion of Honor medal. Shay, a member of the Penobscot Nation, lives on Indian Island. He served in World War II and the Korean War. He was in the first wave of soldiers to land in Normandy during the D-Day invasion. A past recipient of a Silver Star and two Bronze Stars for valor, Shay, 83, received the Legion of Honor medal last week from Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France.

Three loud and reverberating rifle volleys shook all of the pigeons out of their roof top roosts. The band played the Star Spangled Banner. And here is where many of us wept. We stood there, hats off and over our hearts - other saluting - silence enveloping this very large crowd of faithful parade watchers - while the military band played the anthem. The real benefit of all of this was how quiet the crowd and marchers became as they showed respect for the playing of the anthem and the veterans.

But wait! There's more! Behind Dave and I, a female military marcher, who had her beautiful golden brown well-behaved Labrador retriever on a short leash softly sang the words to the anthem. I could not hold back the tears. It was such an emotional moment. When the anthem finished, many of us turned around and with tears streaming down our faces, thanked her! She was overwhelmed by our gratitude. It was the best rendition of the anthem I had heard in a very long time. Pure, gentile, sweet, loving, compassionate. It was as if she were singing just for us - our little "band of brothers". The military band struck up another march, and we continued down the street, while people yelled, cheered, applauded, and even ran to the vets to shake their hands. Dave and I were in the middle of the pack. As we got to the reviewing stand, it is tradition that the marching veterans salute the Governor of Maine and other dignitaries by holding up the walking sticks. Everyone does it. I was close enough to the governor to hear him say, "Thank you veterans. Thank you for your service." Dave said back to him, "Thank you Governor!" He looked right at us when we waved to him. At least it felt like it. He smiled and returned the wave with a salute. My heart was pounding with pride. Up to this point I had not seen anyone I knew along the parade route, but as we turned the corner, there stood a young man and his wife who I knew. He was the computer person for our department at the University of Maine. I pointed to him and waved, and he and his wife gave me a big smile and a generous applause.

I missed seeing my son Eric, his wife Jennifer, my grandson Joshua and granddaughter Lily in the crowd, who were on the opposite side of the street at that moment. They were calling to me, but there was so much noise I never heard them. Around the corner, and hundreds more were waiting on Exchange Street for us. And then it was over. We quietly disbanded. The excitement of it all ended quickly in a muted tone. Flags were furled. Banners rolled up. We said, "See you next time" to complete strangers yet 'brothers in arms'. Emotional! You can't help thinking just how many WILL be there next time, as we age. I plan on being there, that's for certain!

I have put my medals and ribbons back in the trophy box on my wall here in my home office. I've hung up my Maine-made maple walking stick on the wall. It comes from the Cole Land Transportation Museum and Peavey Manufacturing Company in Maine. The walking stick program began several years ago with World War II and Korean veterans receiving the complimentary sticks in recognition of their war service.

I'm thinking of Memorial Day next year. And now I have memories of my 2nd veterans parade with my 1953 high school friend, Dave Phaneuf. On to the next!