Draped in an American flag, Fuller Crumley, 7, also waves a flag as the annual Armed Forces Day Parade passes by on Market Street on Friday.
Thousands of participants lined Market Street on Friday morning to kick off Chattanooga’s 63rd annual Armed Forces Day Parade.
A trickle of onlookers, mostly parents with cameras, stopped along the sidewalks to cheer the formations of local JROTC and veterans groups as they rolled or marched toward the Tennessee River.
Retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Alden Perry, chairman of the Chattanooga Area Veterans Council, which leads organizing the parade, said the event is a good chance to showcase military contributions to the public.
Next week, he’ll be before the Hamilton County Commission with a request for money to start planning next year’s parade, he said.
The parade is one of the larger Armed Forces Day events for a city the size of Chattanooga, many organizers said. Perry attributed the long-standing event to local support.
“I think that people take seriously the fact that this is the Volunteer State, and so they are just willing to give of their time and their talents to keep this tradition going,” he said.
Friday marked the first time Wanda and George Patrick had been to the Chattanooga procession. They came to see their grandson, Andrew Ross, who marched with the Bradley County High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program.
“He’s a sergeant this year,” Wanda said. “He enjoys it.”
Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Paul Simpson prepped the Ridgeland (Ga.) High School JROTC before they stepped off on their march. This was the first time in four years the group could participate. In recent years the school’s testing period fell at the same time as the parade, but this year’s schedule changed and allowed them to attend, he said.
“It’s good because the kids like to do it, well, because they get out of school for a few hours,” he said. “But they get to get out and show what they can do.”
Contact staff writer Todd South at tsouth@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6347.