A dozen local veterans of World War II were honored this evening during the Main Street Bank Fantasy of Lights Parade in downtown Wheeling.
One of the 12 veterans is 100 years old, and another celebrated his 98th birthday today.
“Each year we select someone to serve as our Grand Marshall, and to honor our veterans, well, was an easy decision,” said Erikka Storch, president of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce. “We all owe a debt of gratitude to all of our military veterans because of what they have preserved for us, and for what they do for us every single day.
“Just to get to meet them was an honor for me and our Parade Committee members,” she said. “Who knows what our country would be like today if they didn’t do what they did for us.”
Spectators began lining Main and Market streets with lawn chairs this afternoon to save their respective viewing spots, a sign how popular the annual parade is in the Friendly City. Vendors selling novelties began walking the parade route soon after the workday ended at 5 p.m.
“At the beginning of the week, the weather forecast didn’t look great for tonight. At one point, I saw a freezing drizzle was supposed to happen, but it changed as the week progressed and we had a cold yet dry evening for the parade,” said Storch, also a member of the House of Delegates representing the 3rd District. “And the crowd was great, and I really hope everyone enjoyed themselves.”
Bill Bryson from UniGlobe Travel once again served as coordinator of the Chamber’s Parade Committee.
“Bill always does a great job for us and he’s the reason why everything runs so smoothly despite how hectic everything is,” Storch said. “He has helped us for a lot of years, and we are very grateful, and we hope he continues for many years to come.
“When you have 100 entries with all the bands and floats, there are a lot of moving parts,” she added. “Somehow, Bill makes it look easy, and we are very appreciative.”
Related Content: Wheeling’s Past Parades
