Greenville Armed Forces Day Parade and Celebration

More than 30 groups ranging from veterans to active military to high school students will take part in the 12th Annual Greenville Armed Forces Day Parade and Celebration on Saturday, May 19, 2012.

The event is hosted and sponsored by Lockheed Martin, The Fluor Government Group, Furman University Army ROTC, Greenville County Schools, Dynamic Technology Solutions, Hampton Inn & Suites Greenville Downtown Riverplace, the Greenville Drive and various Upstate veterans’ groups. The purpose of the event is to honor active, retired and deceased men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces for service to the nation.

The parade will begin at 5 p.m., traveling down Main Street, beginning at the intersection of McBee Avenue and ending at Markley Street.  It will culminate at Fluor Field with military displays, performances by high school bands, JROTC demonstrations, classic cars and more.

Groups interested in taking part in the parade can go to  www.greenvillearmedforcesday.com for more information. Registrations are due by May 14 at 5 p.m.

Parade participants will include active and reserve military units, South Carolina Army National Guard, Greenville Joint Veterans Counsel, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Korean War Veterans Association, Marine Corps League, Military Officers Association of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Sons of the American Revolution, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Veterans Service Corps of South Carolina, Vietnam Veterans of America, Ex-Prisoners of War, Upstate Young Marines, Blue Star Mothers, The Patriot Guard, The Upstate Military Support Coalition, Civil Air Patrol, Woodruff Road Exchange Club, Boy and Girl Scouts, The American Red Cross, high school bands, JROTC units, other military groups, EMS,  local fire departments and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Department. Elected officials at the state and county levels have also been invited to participate.

Honor Flight Upstate South Carolina will be highlighted in both the parade and celebration, as its World War II honorees participate in the day’s festivities. Honor Flight Upstate South Carolina has flown nearly 500 World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial since its founding in 2007. They are currently raising money for a September flight to take another seventy WWII veterans to Washington for the incredible experience. More information about their program is available at www.honorflightupstatesc.com.