Veterans Honored By Hundreds At Southwest Missouri Veterans Day Parade

SPRINGFIELD, Mo -- Hundreds of people lined the streets of downtown Springfield to honor Ozarks Veterans in the annual Southwest Missouri Veterans Parade. Dozens of organizations took part in today's parade including numerous local Scout Troops, the Central High School Kilties and City Utilities even had it's Bus of Veterans. Several JROTCs also marched the route in honor of those who have gone before them. The parade started on Trafficway and wound it's way downtown to the Square. Young and old alike enjoyed this beautiful seventy degree day under the Stars and Stripes to pay tribute to our Veterans.

The group that organized today's event put this special message on their website "The roots of our parade originate in an Act of Congress - Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November and originally called Armistice Day. In 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation's history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars."

You can visit their website here.