Armed Forces Day Parade is back in Scranton on Saturday

MELISSA M. JANOSKI, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·2 min read

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Armed Forces Day Parade marches back into Scranton on Saturday after being disrupted by the pandemic.

Armed Forces Day, celebrated the third Saturday in May, is lesser known than Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Its focus is to honor all active-duty service members.

The parade begins at 11 a.m. at the Gino Merli Veterans Center, 401 Penn Ave., and proceeds to Courthouse Square, where there will be displays of military equipment, civic and veterans organizations and food trucks.

“I’ve been serving for 32 years, so to go out in public and show off our capabilities and bring awareness to what we do for our country is important to me,” said Lt. Col. Cliff A. Morales, deputy commander of the 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and member of the organizing committee. He is a full-time officer working in Scranton and lives in the Mountain Top area.

There will be around 400 service members marching, led by the 28th Infantry Division. They will be joined by at least an equal number from civic organizations, such as the VFW and American Legion, and school marching bands.

In addition to the 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, units include the 412th Engineer Company of the Pennsylvania Army Reserve and the Navy Reserve Center Avoca.

The grand marshal is Brig. Gen. Laura A. McHugh, deputy adjutant general of the Army Pennsylvania National Guard. She was commissioned through the University of Scranton’s ROTC program in 1991, upon earning her bachelor of science degree in finance from King’s College. She lives in Pine Grove.

Morales said Scranton held a parade on the first Armed Services Day, in 1950. The day was designated by President Harry S. Truman to consolidate those celebrated by each branch of the military. A Scranton Times account of the 1952 parade said it drew 15,000 people. The local parade faded out in the 1970s and was reestablished in 1999. Then came the pandemic. Last year, with many local service members deployed, organizers held a ceremony instead of a parade.

Earlier in the day, {span}Helping Heroes NEPA is holding the Heroes of All Kinds 5K race. Find information at runsignup.com/Race/PA/Scranton/HelpingHometownHeroes5K.{/span}