Hundreds gather for Donora parade, lunch
It’s been 50 years since he retired from the U.S. Army, but the uniform still fits Harold Pascoe.
“This uniform – I retired in 1966, and I’m still wearing it,” said Pascoe, 90, of Charleroi.
Pascoe was one of hundreds of locals crowding McKean Avenue in Donora to watch this year’s Mon Valley Veterans Day Parade, which was held Saturday.
Dozens of area high school marching bands, veterans groups and Boy and Girl Scout troops were represented during the lively, 45-minute procession through the borough’s downtown.
“These are the people who are willing to go out and put it all on the line defending what makes America great,” said Matti Gruzs, 58, of Monogahela, whose father served in the Korean War.
Also that afternoon, Brian Charlton of the Donora Historical Society gave a presetation on locals who served in U.S. wars throughout history.
Air Force Col. John F. Gonzales, a former resident of Carroll Township, was parade marshal this year.
He was also the main speaker at an invitational luncheon whose attendees included local veterans groups, their families and area officials.
Gonzales leads a team responsible for interagency planning and strategies in Iran, Iraq and Syria.
During his brief remarks, he praised veterans’ “sense of duty, love of country and, all too often, loss of life.”
He also assured the audience of current military members’ commitment to their mission.
“Your servicemen and women are stationed around the world as we speak to protect our homeland from those who would do us harm and change our way of life,” Gonzales said.
For Pascoe, watching the World War II-era vehicles driven during the parade brought back decades-old memories.
“I used to ride one of those in Europe,” he said, pointing to a jeep. “Then, I rode one in Korea.”
He said he joined the Army in 1943 and served in the European and Pacific theaters during World War II and did two tours in Korea, retiring in 1966.
“I loved every minute of it,” he said.