Published: October 24, 2009 11:36 pm      

Parade will pay tribute to disabled vets

JOHNSTOWN — Conemaugh Valley Veterans is making plans for its 13th annual Veterans Day Parade and Program in downtown Johnstown.

The parade will begin at 4 p.m. Nov. 11 – Veterans Day – with the program to follow in Central Park.

The parade will begin at Main and Union streets and proceed up Main Street to Clinton Street, where it will disband.

The program in the park will begin about 10 minutes after the conclusion of the parade, said Marty Kuhar, parade coordinator and member of Conemaugh Valley Veterans.

The program speaker will be Timothy Birtle of Flinton, commander of the Pennsylvania Disabled American Veterans. Ed Wojnaroski, Conemaugh Valley Veterans chairman, commended member Merritt Nord for arranging for Birtle to be the program speaker.

The Very Rev. Donald Shadid, pastor of St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Upper Yoder Township, will ask the invocation and pronounce the benediction. Kuhar will be master of ceremonies.

This year’s parade and program is paying special tribute to disabled veterans, said Tom Caulfield of the Conemaugh Valley Veterans.

He said a Cambria County Transit Authority bus will be available to provide transportation for disabled veterans wanting to ride in the parade.

Those wanting to ride the bus should go to American Legion Post 294 at 114 Main St. prior to the start of the parade, Caulfied said.

Disabled veterans also are invited to walk in the parade, he added.

Wojnaroski said eight high school bands have committed to participating in the parade. There is time for additional bands to enter the line of march, he said.

Members of Cambria County ABATE Motorcycle Club will hand out small American flags to some parade watchers, Wojnaroski said.

Following the parade and program, all veterans are invited to attend the Johnstown Chiefs-Reading Royals hockey game at 7:05 that evening at Cambria County War Memorial Arena.

Tickets for veterans will be $5, Wojnaroski noted.

Also at the hockey game, there will be a pregame ceremony honoring veterans, he said.

During the game, special individual recognition will be given to members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

Wojnaroski said the Conemaugh Valley Veterans is happy to again have the arena as a participant in its Veterans Day activities. The arena now is managed by SMG World Wide, which recently entered into a five-year contract with the Cambria County commissioners to operate the Napoleon Street landmark.

Wojnaroski is hoping the downtown Johnstown Veterans Day activities are well-attended.

“It’s great to honor our veterans. Come out to show them the respect they so richly deserve,” he said.