Inside the planning of Butler’s annual Memorial Day parade
James “Jim” McMullen said he was honored that veterans and military organizations in Butler County selected him last fall to be the 2025 Veteran of the Year, especially since he would hold the title during the U.S. semiquincentennial.
The Marine Corps veteran will march behind the color guard in a replica 1775 Marine Corps uniform in Butler’s Memorial Day parade Monday, May 25. He said it will be an honor to play that role in the procession down Main Street.
McMullen will also give an address during the ceremony in Diamond Park, where the parade concludes. He said his address will be built around poetry, tackling the meaning of Memorial Day with a rhythmic style.
“I was quite thrilled that they actually believed in me,” McMullen said of being chosen as veteran of the year. “It's sort of nice to go and have people approach you and ask, 'Are you veteran of the year?’”
The Butler parade is organized by Butler County Veterans Services, which each year gathers the names of military personnel who died since the previous year’s event so they can be accounted for in a roll call at the Diamond Park ceremony.
Nikki Burke, administrative assistant for Butler County Veterans Services, said the parade will honor the 216 veterans from the area who died since last May, in addition to the rest of the veterans the ceremony will honor. The county office collects the stats from area funeral homes, according to Burke. As part of the ceremony, veterans organizations present the colors, lead the Pledge of Allegiance and national anthem, retire the colors and lead a POW MIA ceremony.
The ceremony in Diamond Park concludes with a benediction, a rifle salute and the playing of “taps.”
But first comes the parade down Main Street, which typically includes dozens of groups.
“We have a lot of fire departments, the Butler marching band, VA Butler Healthcare, the Mounted Posse, local Scouts,” Burke said.
Participants begin lining up at 10:30 a.m. on the north end of Main Street.
McMullen served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1964 to 1968 as an aircraft electrical systems technician.
Originally from Tioga County, he moved to Butler about 15 years ago. Despite being from out of town, McMullen got involved in several Butler area organizations, including the Sons of the American Revolution. Through his involvement with the Sons, McMullen has performed military funerals, which he said have become less common in 2026.
“I have done just about everything that they have, because they do military funerals, firing detail, other functions,” McMullen said.
McMullen said his ties to the Sons of the American Revolution go well with his role as the Butler County veteran of the year.
McMullen also said the Veteran of the Year usually rides in a Jeep to lead the parade, but he plans to walk the route, in part because of the uniform he will be wearing. He said the replica of the old uniform comes with a mock rifle, and the combination of clothing and gear draw considerable interest, especially from children.
The unique uniform could help youths get engaged with the military, McMullen said.
“I'm trying to stir it up and get the little ones involved,” McMullen said. “It really attracts the kids, and that's what I'm going after.”
If you’re going
The Butler Memorial Day Parade begins with the Veteran of the Year, and will feature about 30 entries this year. Organizations participating in the parade include the Marine Corps League Detachment #743; Butler Area JROTC; military recruiters; American Legion Post 117 and American Legion Post 778; American Legion Riders; VFW Post 249; Disabled American Veterans; Penn Township Veterans Association; the Meridian Veterans Club; Butler Area Senior High School marching band; Salvation Army; and more.
