WATERTOWN, N.Y. -- Fort Drum and area communities joined together to celebrate Armed Forces Day over the last week with a luncheon May 15 at the Commons on post followed by a parade down Washington Street in Watertown on Saturday to honor service members.
Members of the local civilian and military community attended both events. The hostess for the luncheon was Lynn Pietroski, president of the Greater Watertown North Country Chamber of Commerce.
The luncheon began with a Fort Drum color guard posting the colors and the singing of the national anthem. Pietroski then took charge of the event and introduced all of the sponsors who made the event possible.
Guest speaker for the luncheon was retired Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph E. McLaughlin, project director for Fort Drum Mountain Community Homes.
"I believe that in hometown USA, people really think that we have been at war since 9/11," he said. "The truth of the matter is the armed forces have never stopped deploying."
McLaughlin encouraged those in attendance to take an active role in supporting the military.
"Service members need to know that they will be taken care of when they are deployed and when they are home," he said.
During the event, McLaughlin asked the newest enlistees to stand as they wait to ship to basic combat training.
The Armed Forces Day parade featured five marching bands, including the 10th Mountain Division Band; 11 floats; military equipment, Fort Drum police and fire vehicles; and a concert by the Antwerp Drum and Bugle Corps.
The weather was perfect for a parade, as Washington Street was lined with service members and North Country civilian residents to see the platoons of Soldiers and floats proceed down the street.
"The weather was nice, and it is great to see the community out and supporting the armed forces," said Channa Jones, Fort Drum resident. "This reminded me why I am proud to be a member of the military Family."
As an added bonus, the Atkins Functional Fitness Facility staff and Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers won first place for best float, while the Fort Drum Thrift Shop finished third in the community groups category.
After the parade, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War helped to rededicate the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Public Square.
Social Sharing