Dearborn’s Memorial Day Parade is May 26
Special tribute paid to those who care for the wounded

The public is invited to attend Dearborn’s 84th annual Memorial Day Parade. The Parade starts at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 26, and will proceed along Michigan Avenue from Firestone to Schaefer in east Dearborn.

A Dearborn tradition, the Parade is Michigan’s oldest continuous tribute to those who have given their lives while serving in America’s armed forces, and the sacrifices made for the sake of freedom.

This year’s Parade also features a special tribute to those who care for wounded service men and women. Serving as the Parade’s grand marshal will be Vice Admiral Adam M. Robinson, Jr., the Surgeon General of the United States Navy.

To pay tribute to all wounded veterans, the Parade will also have a special guest participant: Duane F. Getzmeyer, 2007-2008 State Commander of the Disabled American Veterans Department of Michigan.

The Memorial Day Parade will feature flyovers by modern and historic military aircraft, one of America’s best military bands – the U.S. Marine Corps Marine Forces Reserve Band, New Orleans – members of Dearborn’s many veterans’ organizations, bands from several local schools, youth groups, community service organizations and more.

The Marine Forces Reserve Band will not only march and perform in the Parade, but will also perform in the city’s official remembrance service that follows the Parade.

The public is invited to attend the service, which takes place at the Dearborn War Memorial, located on the grounds of Dearborn City Hall.

Also performing during the remembrance service will be two contestants from last year’s “Dearborn Stars” talent competition: Erica Green and Albert Suarez and Erica Green.

Green, who is 17 years old and an honor roll student at Edsel Ford High School, will sing The Star-Spangled Banner. She has performed for the past 11 years with the Dearborn Youth Theatre and Dearborn Family Theatre. She is a member of Edsel Ford’s varsity field hockey team, plays soccer and has received numerous awards for her singing as part of the highest choir in her school.

Suarez, 82, will sing God Bless America. Born in Spain, he came to the United States when he was just 18 months old. His most memorable performance experience was competing in a “Three Tenors” contest at Tiger Stadium. Suarez lost by just one vote but did get to enjoy a performance by the legendary operatic trio of José Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.

Aircraft flyovers that are scheduled to take place during the Parade are:

• A flyover of F-16 fighter aircraft from Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which provides the traditional kickoff signal to start the parade.
  
• The “Yankee Warrior,” a restored World War II-era B-25D medium bomber. Now a part of the “Yankee Air Force” which flies out of Willow Run Airport, the Yankee Warrior was flown during World War for bombing missions over Sicily and the Brenner Pass. B-25s fought in all theaters of the war, and are perhaps best known as the aircraft used for the famous “Doolittle Raid” against Japan soon after Pearl Harbor.
  
• The “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” a restored Douglas DC3/C-47, also part of the Yankee Air Force. The DC3/C-47 was one of most-built, and versatile, aircraft of the 20th Century. More than 13,000 were constructed, and some served in the 1948 Berlin Airlift. Today, more than 3,500 are still active in private and military service.
  
• A flight of T-6 aircraft. T-6s were flown in World War II, and later used in the Korean War by Tactical Air Controllers of the 5th Air Force. These legendary T-6s are also known as Mosquitoes because of their “Mosquito” call sign used during missions, bequeathed to them due to the distinctive sound of their engines. The planes are owned by the veterans, who have fully restored them.
  

Further details about Dearborn’s Memorial Day Parade will appear in coming weeks in newspapers, at www.cityofdearborn.org and on CDTV (City of Dearborn Television; Channel 12 on Comcast, Channel 10 on WOW!).