Thousands of local residents, many of them waving American flags, lined the two-mile parade route from Smith Park to Woodside Cemetery.
It took about one hour for all the units to pull out of Smith Park, said Mark White, parade chairman.
The scene was the symbolic snapshot of what Middletown and surrounding communities represent. The diverse crowd featured many families with children in strollers or sitting in lawn chairs or on blankets.
White, who has volunteered on the parade committee for three years, said he was overwhelmed by the number of units, the countless volunteers and those who attended the parade.
The parade came at a perfect time for the city, he said.
“Right now,” he said, “there is a lot of brokenness in the city. Times are sorta chaotic. People are not agreeing. But for a little time, a few hours, people put those differences down and came out to remember those we lost. That speaks volumes.”
When the city of Middletown canceled its sponsored events, a group of volunteers took over the parade. White called it a “total team effort.”
Those same volunteers are starting to organize the July 4th Parade, he said. He has been contacted by many organizations interested in participating in that parade.
After the parade, a ceremony was held at Woodside. Sgt Johnny Wireman was recognized for serving as parade grand marshal.
The keynote address was delivered by Tim O’Sullivan, a retired U.S. Air Force major with more than 21 years of military service. He retired from Wright-Patterson Air Fore Base in Dayton.
In 2008, O’Sullivan served as an embedded combat advisor to Iraq forces alongside British forces where he was later wounded in action, earning the Bronze Star and Purple Star for his sacrifices.
He called being the keynote speaker “a profound privilege to stand before you today in this sacred place, where we come together to honor the memory of our fallen heroes — men and women who gave their lives so that we might live in freedom.“
He served the country with pride, the same as many who attended the ceremony, O’Sullivan said.
“I carry the weight of sacrifice,” he said. “I’ve seen the cost of freedom up close. I’ve stood beside brave souls who never made it home.”
He said sacrifice “is not just a word — it’s a promise. It’s the promise made by every service member who raises their hand to defend our nation, knowing they may be called to give everything."
Honoring the fallen is more than a ceremony, it’s a commitment, he said.
“It’s teaching our children the names of heroes like those buried here,” he said. “It’s supporting the families they left behind. It’s volunteering in our communities and serving veterans who carry the visible and invisible scars of war. And it’s coming together, as we do today, to say with one voice: we remember you, we thank you, and we will never let your sacrifice fade.”
Journal-News Columnist Rick McCrabb writes about local people and events every Sunday. If you have an idea for a story, contact him at rmccrabb1@gmail.com.
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