Strike up the band and light-weight up the skies.
Plans for Armed Forces Day actions in McAlester are ongoing with the addition of two extra main contributors.
A fly-over by a U.S. Navy jet through the downtown AFD parade and the participation of the 77th U.S. Army Army Band band from Fort Sill in Lawton have been conformed by Armed Forces Day Committee Chairman Jeff Wolf.
Different additions embrace the participation of a number of Oklahoma Nationwide Guard models stationed within the space, Wolf stated
They are going to be added to different Armed Forces Day actions to rejoice the seventy fifth anniversary of Armed Forces participation in McAlester, together with the Armed Forces Day Luncheon and the Armed Forces Day Parade. Fly-overs by members of the Tulsa Battle Birds are additionally anticipated.
The AFD Luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Could 6, that includes keynote speaker U.S. Navy Captain Cedrick L. Jessup on the Scottish Ceremony Temple, at Second Road and Washington Avenue in McAlester. Doorways open at 11 a.m.
It is adopted by the Armed Forces Day Parade, set for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Could 7, in Downtown McAlester.
“Honor, Braveness and Dedication,” are the core values of the U.S. Navy, the department of the nation’s army service being honored this 12 months through the 2022 AFD occasions.
Wolf hopes to see one other patriotic turnout by McAlester-area residents and guests for this 12 months’s Armed Forces Day occasions, very similar to the one which supported final 12 months’s AFD Parade.
“If you fill the streets, it tells the veterans they don’t seem to be forgotten,” Wolf stated. The identical factor goes for the Armed Forces Day Luncheon on the Scottish Ceremony Temple.
“If you fill this factor up, it is a homage to the veterans of our neighborhood,” stated Wolf.
Whereas the Armed Forces Day Parade made a comeback final 12 months, it will mark the primary time the Armed Forces Day Luncheon has been held in three years, following cancelation of the occasion in 2020 and 2021 attributable to COVID 19 considerations.
One distinction this 12 months is holding the luncheon on the Scottish Ceremony Temple. This would be the first 12 months the Indian Chapter of the Scottish Ceremony hosts the Armed Forces Day occasions in McAlester. Wolf stated the Indian Chapter of the Scottish Ceremony stepped as much as tackle the occasion after the McAlester Chamber of Commerce’s Govt Board voted to not deal with the Armed Forces Day actions this 12 months.
Luncheon tickets are $25 for people or $200 for a company sponsorship desk, which seats seven plus a visitor seat for a sailor or different army service members attending the occasion. Reservations for the luncheon may be made by phoning the Scottish Ceremony Temple at 918-423-6360 and talking to Cherie Hamilton from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m. on Monday by Thursday. Messages may be left on the telephone for calls on Friday and thru the weekend.
President of the Indian Chapter of the Scottish Ceremony in McAlester, Dennis Wilson, is seeing a number of curiosity the the return of the Armed Forces Day luncheon.
“It is going nice. Seating is proscribed so name in and make reservations,” he suggested.
Along with the previously-mentioned parade contributors, others embrace U.S. Navy Particular Weapons, the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, the Mid-Del Junior ROTC Shade Guard, the reigning Miss McAlester and Miss McAlester Excellent Teen, the Woman Scouts, the Coalgate Excessive Faculty Band and extra.
Parade entries are free this 12 months.
“Parade entry registration kinds can be found on the McAlester Public Library or at Metropolis Corridor,” stated Armed Forces Day Committee spokesperson Lacey Sudderth.
Parade entry kinds may obtained by e-mail at mcalesterafd@gmail.com, Wolf stated. Accomplished kinds may be returned by e-mail to the identical deal with of mcalesterafd@gmail.com, he stated,
Accomplished entry kinds can be despatched by common mail to: Attn: McAlester Armed Forces Day Parade / Scottish Ceremony Temple; P.O. Field 609; McAlester, OK; 74502.
“We’ll settle for parade entries till Could 2,” Sudderth stated. Anybody signing up after that date can nonetheless take part, however can be positioned in the back of the parade.
As soon as once more, the parade will line up this 12 months at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Could 7. Verify-in is on the Diamond Trophy and Engraving car parking zone at 7 N. A Road, with the parade lineup down A Road. Members can be assigned a lineup quantity the week of the parade.
The parade route would be the identical as in earlier years. From A Road, the parade will head east on Carl Albert Parkway, then flip south for one block on Fifth Road, then flip to the best and begin west down Choctaw Avenue to South Primary Road.
It regarded for some time the AFD Parade and Luncheon may not be held this 12 months, till the Indian Chapter of the Scottish Ceremony stepped ahead.
“They’re serving to us save this patriotic occasion for our veterans,” Wolf stated.
Scottish Ceremony members who agreed to host the Armed Forces Day occasions included Wilson, together with Steve Caudill, Jim Mercer and Randy Roden, in addition to Indian Chapter Grand Secretary Michael A. Ebert.
Members organized the assembly with Wolf after studying the parade and banquet may need to be canceled this 12 months because of the lack of a sponsor. Wilson stated they have been glad to tackle the Armed Forces Day occasions.
“We felt prefer it was a worthwhile trigger and we wished to honor our veterans,” he stated.
Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.
