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thedrifter
11-03-05, 03:55 AM
Touches added to Veterans Day parade
November 03,2005
BY CHRIS MAZZOLINI View stories by reporter
DAILY NEWS STAFF

Saturday's Veterans Day Parade in Jacksonville will honor all branches of the military - but the Navy will lead the way.

For the first time in the event's 10-year history, the sailors who mend and fix the area's Marines will be honored by marching in the parade's vanguard. Capt. Richard C Welton, the commanding officer of Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital, will serve as grand marshal when the parade kicks off at 10 a.m.

The decision to honor the hospital was an easy one, said Hank Hangsleben, first-year parade organizer and the president of Jacksonville's Chapter 5 of Rolling Thunder, a group dedicated to publicizing POW/MIA issues.

"Every Marine loves their corpsman," Hangsleben said. "They are special in our hearts. It was time to honor the Naval Hospital. I said (to Welton), 'You're fixing the heroes. That makes you a hero in my eyes.' That's exactly the way I feel."

Welton will ride in a Rolls Royce convertible followed by a host of sailors from the hospital. He said there will be sailors that represent all facets of Navy medicine.

While he is serving as grand marshal, Welton said the honor really goes to the sailors who work hard to treat patients wherever they need care.

"I think the community is honoring us or thanking us for the care we provide," Welton said.

"It is a distinct honor for the hospital to be recognized in this parade. I think it says, 'We care.' We sometimes feel lost in the crowd. It's nice for the community to recognize Navy medicine."

Following the Navy will be Marines from various units, Hangsleben said. Troops with 10th Marines will march, along with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines. There will be a Marine Corps color guard. Devil Dogs from New River Air Station will also participate. The U.S Coast Guard will be present, riding on a rescue boat.

Besides the military, 107 other veterans organizations, community groups and businesses will fill in the rest of the parade, Hangsleben said. In all, there will be about 700 marchers making the trek up Western Boulevard from Coastal Carolina Community College to Brynn Marr Shopping Center.

And the day will begin with a roar when a gaggle of aircraft from the New River Air Station - including the Osprey and a number of helicopters - flies over the parade.

Hangsleben said he wants to see a giant crowd at the parade to honor both the veterans of past wars and those emerging from the current struggles in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I'd love to see the whole length of Western Boulevard lined shoulder to shoulder, two or three deep for this Veterans Day parade," Hangsleben said.

"We have a whole new breed of veterans now," he added. "What we have to realize now is veterans are not just the old folks you see in the World War II uniforms standing along the road at a parade. We have 21- and 22-year-old combat veterans with three tours in Iraq. It's important to make them realize they are not sacrificing their bodies, their lives and their limbs for nothing."

Contact staff writer Chris Mazzolini at cmazzolini@freedomenc.com or at 353-1171, Ext. 229.

Ellie

thedrifter
11-05-05, 06:44 AM
Heading for the parade soon...

Mark will be taking pix's...

Ellie

thedrifter
11-05-05, 11:48 AM
Pix from the Jacksonville, NC Veterans Day Parade this a.m.

http://p089.ezboard.com/fthefontmanscommunityfrm29.showMessage?topicID=743 2.topic

thedrifter
11-06-05, 07:33 AM
Veterans hold special place in hearts
November 06,2005
BY ROSELEE PAPANDREA
DAILY NEWS STAFF

Military veterans hold a special place in Wandra Clinger's heart.

Her husband, Donald Clinger, is a former Marine who did two tours in Vietnam and received two Purple Hearts, and her nephew is currently serving in the Army in his second tour of duty in Iraq.

They are the reason she sat on a blanket alongside Western Boulevard Saturday morning to watch Jacksonville's annual Veterans Day Parade, which was led by grand marshal Capt. Richard C. Welton, the commanding officer of Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital.

The parade, which was kicked off by four MV-22 Osprey aircraft flying overhead, offered Clinger a chance to honor the many men and women who have fought for this country, especially since her husband was riding on a float as a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. It was also an opportunity to spend some quality time with her nephew's daughters, 4-year-old Trinity and 5-year-old Nautica Barnes.

While the Veterans Day Parade doesn't seem to bring out the same number of folks as the Christmas Parade, which is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving, Clinger was still pleased to see the size of the crowd flanking Western Boulevard.

"I'm glad to see the support," Clinger said. "The guys have been through a lot in Iraq."

The parade organizers were also pleased with the crowd. This year members of Jacksonville's Chapter 5 of Rolling Thunder - a group dedicated to publicizing POW/MIA issues - organized the parade for the first time under the leadership of the organization's president, Hank Hangsleben.

Debbie Hangsleben, the secretary of the group, was among the members who rode motorcycles in the parade. But Debbie pulled off the road at some point so she could watch the others.

"If the front of it was as nice as the part I saw, I think it went very well," Debbie Hangsleben said. She thought more people attended than usual.

Clinger along with the rest of the crowd were quick to jump to their feet when certain groups walked by. Whether it was the sailors who led the parade, the many veterans' organizations or the active

-duty Marines who marched near the end, parade goers clapped with enthusiasm.

It's the type of acknowledgement that makes John Hare, a retired Marine master sergeant and member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, feel good.

"This parade is very important to us," Hare said while waiting for the parade to start. "We appreciate the enthusiasm. When we pass, people usually stand and clap for us. We don't consider ourselves heroes, but it's a good feeling."

Participating in the parade is one way Hare honors those who served their country, but he also makes a special effort to pay tribute to the veterans who have died.

"I think Veterans Day is a day to sit and reflect on what has transpired over the years," Hare said. "It's a chance to show our appreciation to the living veterans. But me and my wife also visit the veterans' cemetery here and in New Bern. We go to the graves of the people we knew and say, 'thanks.'"

The Boy Scouts of America made a big showing at the parade. Several troops participated and many of the youngsters threw candy and handed out small flags to the children who were watching.

Members of Troop 597, which meets at the United Methodist Church on Gum Branch Road, discussed Veterans Day at a meeting Thursday.

George Walter, an assistant scout master, said that a lot of the boys in the troop have a good understanding of what it means to be a veteran because a lot of their fathers have served in the Marine Corps and some are currently in Iraq.

"I think we have special feelings for veterans than say someone from another state that doesn't have the same military influence as Jacksonville," Walter said.

Trevor Buck, 14, a Boy Scout with Troop 597 and freshman at Jacksonville High School, was glad to have the chance to give something to those who have served in the military.

"It means a lot," Buck said. "There are a lot of people in Iraq serving, and you get to honor them a lot just by walking in the parade."

At this point, Debbie Hangsleben doesn't know whether Rolling Thunder will be organizing next year's Veterans Parade, but the members are ready and willing.

"There have been some good lessons learned that we'd like to put to use, and we have some other surprises up our sleeves," Hangsleben said.

Ellie