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HomeArts/LeisureClarksville's Welcome Home Veterans Parade honors those that served

Clarksville’s Welcome Home Veterans Parade honors those that served

Visit Clarksville's Welcome Home Veterans CelebrationClarksville, TN – Hundreds gathered around the streets of Downtown Clarksville Saturday for the 7th Annual Welcome Home Veterans Parade. The parade is part of the Welcome Home Veterans Celebration. Veterans from all around attended and took part in the parade.

The parade began at 10:00am.

“I am so glad to see so many people come out to the Welcome Home Veterans Parade to honor our veterans today. We have a lot of units this year,” said Theresa Harrington, Executive Director of Visit Clarksville. “We are just glad our veterans are home and we like to welcome them to Clarksville.”

The 101st Airborne Division lead the parade by presenting the colors. Next was Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts and First Lady Cynthia Pitts. They were followed by Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden and his wife Sara Golden.
 
Some of the people and groups to take part in the parade were the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, Clarksville Corvette Club, American Legion Post 289,Boy Scout Troops 21 and 289, Dynamic Dolls, Cub Scout Pack 185, American Leagion Post 143, Al Menah Shrine Legion of Honor, National Sojourners, Memory Lane Cruisers as well as several floats loaded with veterans.
 
The local bands that took part in the parade were the Montgomery Central High School and JROTC, Northwest High School and JROTC, Clarksville High School, Rossview High School and JROTC, West Creek High School and JROTC, Kenwood High School, Northeast High School and JROTC, and Todd County High School.
 
Few a of the JROTC programs put on a demonstration in front of the Montgomery County Historic Courthouse. These included Montgomery Central High School JROTC, Northwest High School JROTC, and the West Creek High School JROTC. They were simply fantastic. These JROTC students put on a spectacular show.

Some of the Veterans and their spouses that attended the Welcome Home Veterans Parade. (Mark Haynes, Clarksville Online)
Some of the Veterans and their spouses that attended the Welcome Home Veterans Parade. (Mark Haynes, Clarksville Online)

This had the be the best Welcome Home Veterans Parade to date. From all the participants in the parade, dance performances, the High School JROTC exhibitions, and the hundreds upon hundreds that showed up to honor our veterans, this was really one special event.
 
“We feel like the veterans over the years have not been welcomed like they should have been. We just want to prove, especially to our older veterans that were in the Vietnam war and some of the other wars, that we do appreciate what they did for us,” Harrington stated.
 
Special thanks to Visit Clarksville and Oak Grove Tourism for partnering up to put on this great event. Sponsors include the City of Clarksville, Montgomery County Government, AARP, Mission BBQ, Tilted Kilt, CDE Lightband, CBE Companies, and the Wounded Warrior Project.

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