Dreary weather on Wednesday couldn’t stop hundreds of residents and veterans from turning out to see Butler’s Veterans Day Parade.

The hour-long parade on Main Street included emergency responders, high school marching bands and veterans and civic clubs which represent and serve members of all four branches of the United States military.

It also showcased some of Butler County’s young people with appearances by over a dozen pageant winners and dozens of ROTC students who marched in uniform to celebrate the holiday.

The culmination of the event was a Taps ceremony in Diamond Park by U.S. Marine Corps veterans, complete with a gun salute.

Albert Murray, a Saxonburg VFW member and a U.S. Army veteran, said, “There’s just a sense of pride being around all these other people in uniform. You don’t really get that on many other days.”

Residents who have been attending the parade for years call it a tradition of respect they want to pass on to their children and grandchildren.

Butler residents Margy and George Vorel were doing just that, bringing their grandchildren Caleb, Lochlan and Kaidon out to the parade despite chilly weather and the threat of rain.

Margy called Veterans Day observances a tradition that has grown more poignant for her as the soldiers who served in World War II continue to age and die in larger numbers.

“I tear up when I see them,” she said. “I want the kids to understand and honor these awesome people.”

George Vorel said his favorite part of the day is watching his grandchildren be amazed by the pageantry of the celebration.

“I know the sacrifices many of these guys made,” he said. “It’s just a small token for us to honor them like this.”