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Midway Veterans Honored at Memorial
2005 Memorial Day Parade plans in Washington
First World War soldier to be Honorary Grand Marshal at National
Memorial Day Parade
WASHINGTON, May 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- One of the last surviving
American veterans of World War One will serve as an honorary Grand
Marshal of the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., on
May 30. Lloyd Brown, 105, will be a featured participant in the
event commemorating all those who have made sacrifices for their
country.
Of the millions of military
personnel who served during the United States' involvement in the
conflict from 1917 to 1918, Mr. Brown is one of the 80 known
veterans who are still alive.
Born in Lutie, Mo., in 1900, he
enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1918. "All the fellows around were
joining up," explains Brown. "And of course, all the girls liked
seeing someone in uniform."
He was assigned to the USS New
Hampshire, a battleship in the escort fleet that was tasked with
protecting troops making the perilous crossing of the Atlantic from
the U.S. to Europe. He says with pride that they had a 100 percent
success rate, never losing a troop carrier to enemy action.
Although trained to serve with a
gun crew, navy officials recognized his musical talents and
eventually sent him to music school. He was then reassigned to the
flagship USS Seattle where he played cello in the Admiral's
Orchestra.
He emerged from the war unscathed
only to have his life threatened when he contracted Spanish
influenza during the 1918 to 1919 pandemic. Spanish influenza
claimed ten times as many American lives than those lost in the war,
but Mr. Brown was fortunate to fully recover and leave a legacy that
includes three daughters, 12 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren
and two great-great-grandchildren.
Now a resident in Charlotte Hall,
Md., Mr. Brown still lives on his own, but has two of his three
daughters residing nearby. He will be accompanied by one of his
granddaughters as he travels the parade route in a 1910
International Harvester car.
Mr. Brown will be joined in the
parade by Mayor Anthony Williams, special color guard, high school
bands, antique vehicles, and veterans and re-enactors representing
every major conflict in U.S. history from the American Revolution to
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The parade will start on Madison
Drive, NW and 3rd Street at 9 a.m., moving across the base of the
Capitol and then turn right onto Independence Avenue, concluding on
12th Street, SW. The public is encouraged to come view the parade
and pay their respects to all those who have served their country
while also showing their support for the thousands of military
personnel who are currently stationed throughout the world. |
