The Annual Appleton Memorial Day Parade & Ceremony
Eric Stadler, member of the Appleton Parade Committee has marched with the Appleton American Legion Post No. 38’s Scarlet Guard Color Guard for the past 16 years. Stadler reminds us that Memorial Day is not just a day off from work or the official start to summer. It is a day dedicated to honor members of our Armed Forces that died while serving. We all can afford a few hours on Memorial Day to attend the parade and ceremony as a tribute to those that fought and died for the many liberties we have today. Making it a family affair is paramount, so our children and grandchildren also learn and remember the importance of this day.
The City of Appleton’s annual Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony is scheduled for Monday, May 29 th , 2017. The parade route will be east on College Avenue fromAppleton Street to Meade Street, north on Meade Street to Pacific Street, east on Pacific Street ending at the corner of Pacific Street and Owaissa Street (at the entrance of Riverside Cemetery).
The 2017 parade will begin at 9:00 AM with the City of Appleton Band playing the National Anthem, followed by a single shot fired by a firing squad comprised of members of the Appleton American Legion Post No. 38 and the Appleton VFW Post No. 2778.
The Parade will feature marching units, floats, and vehicles representing local military and veteran groups, scout organizations, municipal organizations, service groups, Gold Star family members, local high school bands and the return of an antique, horse-drawn funeral coach complete with a flag-drapedcasket (sponsored by Brettschneider-Trettin- Nickel Funeral Home and the Appleton Education Association).
Immediately following the Parade, all military, veteran, and municipal color and honor guards and the City of Appleton Band will file into Appleton’s historic Riverside Cemetery for the City’s annual Memorial Day ceremony. The ceremony will include music by the Appleton City Band and bagpiper Mike Dickinson, poignant speeches and poems read by students of the Appleton high schools (Jeff Rademaker of Appleton East High School, Fatima Ali of Appleton North High School, Jewel Lo of Appleton West High School, Morgan Gerseth of St. Francis Xavier High School), a rifle salute and the playing of Taps. The Keynote Speaker will be Sara Laabs of Fox Valley Lutheran High School. Other Appleton high school students volunteering to strew flowers on veterans’ graves during the ceremony will be Emma Ross and Rachel Tomasik of Appleton East High School, Jada Rushkofske and Katherine Newman of Appleton North High School, Kevin Pritzl and Keegan Chesney of Appleton West High School, Scott Price and Grace Flatau of Fox Valley Lutheran High School, and Emma Vosters and Breana VanderWielen of St. Francis Xavier High School.
A second, short ceremony will follow the main ceremony at the Appleton American Legion veterans’ plot (paying tribute to local deceased American Legion veterans), which is located at in Riverside Cemetery at the entrance of St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Appleton.
A Lamers Bus Lines trolley bus will transport the specially selected Appleton high school students (National Honors Society members) participating in the ceremony, and any veterans that are unable to march.
Complete event details can be found via the Appleton Memorial Day Parade page on Facebook, or via the parade’s webpage at http://applications.appleton.org/parades/flagday%202017/memorialday.html.