Butler holds Memorial Day parade
Gary Neely served in the Marine Corps from 1966 to 1972, was sent to active duty in Vietnam twice, reached the rank of Sergeant and received three Purple Hearts before being honorably discharged.
Still, being named the Butler County Veteran of the Year by American Legion Post 778 for this year’s Memorial Day parade was a surprise and an honor that has become one of Neely’s most precious.
“It’s one of the highest honors I’ve ever received in my life,” Neely said of being named Veteran of the Year. “It came out of the blue. I didn’t expect it at all.”
Butler residents crowded Main Street in the early hours of Memorial Day, May 26, to get good viewing positions and parking spots for the annual Memorial Day parade and ceremony. It was, above all, a day to pay tribute to American heroes from Butler County.
The parade began at 10:40 a.m., with units from the City of Butler and Butler Township police leading the way, followed by members of Butler Area School District’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.
Also among those participating in the parade were the Butler Golden Tornado marching band, the Disabled American Veterans, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the American Legion Post 117 Riders.
“We do parade rides for people who have passed. We also go down to the Allegheny Cemetery and escort them down there,” said Gary Henry, the Riders’ director. “We have been a group for over 30 years. We take care of our vets, and we do all sorts of things for the veterans.”
After the parade, a crowd gathered at Diamond Park — a space covered in military memorials and iconography — for a special ceremony to honor all local veterans who have lost their lives over the years.
“Today is a day of mourning, not of celebration,” LeRoy Bunyan, American Legion Post 778 commander and master of ceremonies, said. “This isn’t a simple day off. This is a day to remember that others pay for every free breath you will ever take in America.”
“Many never returned home to live their lives,” Neely said. “They will be, in our hearts, forever young. They gave their tomorrows so that we may have our todays and live our lives in a free nation.”
During the ceremony, a tribute was paid to all soldiers who are still missing in action or who are still prisoners of war. A white dinner table was placed in the middle of Diamond Park to symbolize the missing place each soldier has left in their family’s home. Each object on the table bore some sort of significance.
“The tablecloth is white, symbolic of the purity of their intentions to respond to their country's call to arms,” said veteran Mike Shook. “The single rose in the vase signifies the blood they may have shed in sacrifice to ensure the freedom of our beloved United States of America. … A slice of lemon on the plate reminds us of their bitter fate. The salt sprinkled on the plate reminded us of the countless fallen tears of families as they wait.”
Tribute was also paid to all 278 Butler County veterans who had died in the year since the previous parade, which included 14 veterans of World War II,; 60 veterans of the Korean War, 124 veterans of the Vietnam War and 13 veterans of wars in the Persian Gulf.
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The Butler High School Marching Band performed during the Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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The Butler High School Marching Band performed during the Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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The Butler High School Marching Band performed during the Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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The Butler High School Marching Band performed during the Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Kinsley Mccaslin waves a flag during the Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Kinsley Mccaslin waves a flag during the Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Area residents came out for the annual Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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The Butler High School Marching Band performed during the Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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The Butler High School Marching Band performed during the Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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The Butler High School Marching Band performed during the Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
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Gabriel Bonetti sits on his dad David’s shoulders as he waves a flag during the Butler Memorial Day Parade along Main Street on Monday, May 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle.
