Organizers weigh options for Media Vet Day Parade
MEDIA » The COVID-19 pandemic, which has sickened more than 11,000 and killed nearly 800 Delaware County residents, many of them veterans, will not stop organizers from holding a Veterans Day service come November.
In normal years, the parade draws thousands of spectators and begins with a gun salute at the war memorial in front of Spasso’s Italian Grill near the intersection of Jackson and State streets in Media. It then marches up State Street and ends in front of the Media Courthouse where the grand marshal is introduced and speeches are made.
“We’ve going to have something. We’re not going to ignore Veterans Day,” said Media Mayor Bob McMahon, who, as chairman of the Veterans Legacy Project, organizes the parade and a few others from that organization.
The parade has been held annually since 1960 and is one of the largest in the state. Organizers are considering three options this year.
The first involves having the ceremony in front of the courthouse with veterans and their families driving by and having their names announced. The involvement of American Legion color guards, limited in size and standing six feet apart, is also a possibility.
The second option being considered would be having a ceremony with attendees properly spaced and would involve such traditional events as the winners of the Mary Ryan Memorial Essay Contest reading their entries, retired State Trooper Kevin Pierce singing the National Anthem and other speakers.
The third option being considered would be a virtual ceremony where organizers take videos from the past 21 years of parades and creating a half hour ‘ Best of Veteran’s Day’ video showing all the grand marshals over the years.
The Delaware County Veterans Day Parade has had many heroic and well known grand marshals including former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, performer Ed McMahon (who once lived in Drexel Hill), and former Gov. Tom Ridge.
Other grand marshals have included Capt. Maureen Robinson (Army Nurse Corps, retired); Luther Smith, captain in the Tuskegee Airmen; Ret. Navy Lt. Eugene Vickers and Medal of Honor Recipient Stephen Gregg.
“The parade was the biggest thing in Delaware County,” said Jack Holefelder in a video on the organization’s website. Holefelder, a Vietnam veteran, was also grand marshal one year. “One of the best parades we had was when we had Tom Ridge, Joe Loeper and Matt Ryan - the governor, the speaker of the House and majority leader of the Senate all at one time on the stage.”
At the 40th Annual Parade, Ridge presented Dole with Pennsylvania’s $2 million contribution to the National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. — the largest gift from any state.
Other well-known dignitaries that have been part of past parades include former Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Sens. Pat Toomey and Bob Casey, and TV newsman Tim Russert.
“We’ve had different themes over the years - honoring the Desert Storm veterans, women in the military in ‘08, medics in ‘06,” said McMahon. “We always have 11 or 12 marching bands. That obviously won’t happen this year.”
In remarks on the group’s website, McMahon said the Veterans Day Parade is held every year, not only to bring out veterans but to bring in the kids so they can have a better understanding of what veterans have gone through.
“We served in war. We’re hoping our kids do not have to serve, but we want them to always remember the wars we fought in and remember us. We’re trying to pass the legacy down,” McMahon said.
The group will decide on a plan in the next two weeks. To view past parades go to https://veteranslegacy. org.