More than 200 veterans, volunteers and family members helped represent Honor Flight Chicago at the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, March 17.
Honor Flight Chicago served as Grand Marshal for the parade.
“We cannot thank the South Side Irish Parade committee enough for the opportunity to honor our volunteers, showcase their passion for veterans and highlight our mission in front of hundreds of thousands of people along Western Ave,” said Doug Meffley, Honor Flight Chicago director of communications. “It was a beautiful day to march and we were thrilled that so many of our volunteers and their families were able to join us.”
Honor Flight Chicago was proud to have World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War era veterans represented in the parade. The 2019 flight season is Honor Flight Chicago’s first to have Vietnam vets fly alongside their fellow senior war heroes.
This year’s parade began at 103rd and Western and proceeded south down Western Avenue to 115th St. The veterans and volunteers walked the route along with three military vehicles provided by The Veteran’s Garage in Posen, Ill.:
- A Korean War era pickup that carried a handful of volunteers
- A WWII-colored Deuce and a Half that carried WWII and Korean War veterans
- A 5-ton that carried Vietnam Veterans.
The parade also honored Choose Kind, an organization dedicated to promoting kindness and raising awareness about Apert syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the proper development of the skull, hands, and feet. Children born with the condition suffer from a range of physical and cognitive impairments and face numerous surgeries over their lifetimes.
“The entire focus of the South Side Irish Parade is on family, community and Irish heritage,” said Greg Kovak, co-chair of the South Side Irish Parade Committee. “We could not think of two more deserving organizations to represent this year’s parade.”
“We cannot thank the South Side Irish Parade committee enough for the opportunity to honor our volunteers, showcase their passion for veterans and highlight our mission in front of hundreds of thousands of people along Western Ave.”
