Residents show support to veterans
Butler — Hundreds of people lined Main Street Tuesday morning for the annual Veterans Day Parade.
Standing or sitting on lawn chairs and blankets, spectators waved American flags and chatted in the warm sunshine as parade participants gathered at the intersection of Penn and Main Streets to march south toward Diamond Park.
Sgt. First Class Daryl Merrison and his wife, Sally, of Butler waited along Main Street to support fellow veterans and military personnel.
Wearing his uniform from Iraq, Merrison, now retired, said attitudes toward the military have changed since he first served in Vietnam.
“Everybody's more respectful to military than they were,” Merrison said. “I remember being in Pittsburgh by the Continental Trailways bus station and a bunch of kids spitting at me and calling me warmonger and baby killer. And now everybody walks up and says thank you for serving.”
Merrison, who moved to Butler from Connoquenessing 41 years ago, said he served four and a half years active duty and 20 years in the Army Reserves.
“I'm a naturalized citizen, but that didn't matter. They draft everybody,” said Merrison, whose English family moved from Canada to the United States when he was a baby.
“I even got to work with the British Army a little over in Iran and that was interesting,” Merrison said. “They're not as nice as we are.”
B.J. Sigworth and her husband, Rodger, of Bruin waited for a glimpse of their granddaughter performing with the Slippery Rock High School marching band.
Married 47 years, B.J. Sigworth said the only time the couple lived away from the area was when Rodger served in Vietnam with the U.S. Air Force. This was the first time in several years the Sigworths attended the Veterans Day Parade.Bands from Butler, Knoch, Moniteau and Karns City joined the Slippery Rock marchers in adding patriotic numbers to the one-hour event.Veteran of the Year John Moore of Butler served as grand marshal, leading representatives from the Bantam Marines, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and VFW posts, Boy and Girl Scouts, ROTC, beauty pageants and others.Cora Rinehart, a junior at Butler High School, said she joined the JROTC as a freshman. This was her third year walking with JROTC in the parade.“I figured (JROTC) could help me with my self-esteem and it definitely did,” Cora said.Midway through the parade, marchers stopped for a moment of silence and salute at Diamond Park to honor the signing of the armistice officially ending World War I.Navy veteran David Curran of East Brady brought his two young grandchildren in a wagon to Diamond Park after the parade to see the memorials.He served 20 years in the Navy and fought in Vietnam. He said he also aided in the Enewetak Cleanup Project in the Pacific Ocean.Curran said his family's military history goes back to World War I. His son serves with the Coast Guard and his daughter is in the Navy. Another son, Sgt. Carl F. Curran II, was killed in action in Iraq in 2004.“I brought these two grandkids of mine because I'm trying to instill in them as much patriotism as possible,” Curran said, stopping at the Merchant Marine monument.“I believe in my country. I always have and I always will. That's the main thing I want to convey to all the younger people and especially to these two.”
“I brought these two grandkids of mine because I'm trying to instill in them as much patriotism as possible,” Curran said, stopping at the Merchant Marine monument.“I believe in my country. I always have and I always will. That's the main thing I want to convey to all the younger people and especially to these two.”
