5-14-02, Voice in the Crowd
The Parade that
almost Wasn't
By Pete Chaney
IPS Features
People are always ready to step forward and take credit when something works. The same people are hard to find if things go sour. In reality, it is seldom that any one person deserves all the credit or all the blame. Teamwork is needed. But it takes a nucleus, often an individual, around which the work and action takes place.
The Armed Forces Day celebration with a parade in
Chattanooga almost died eight years ago. For
various reasons, the dedicated individuals who had brought it forth annually
since 1949 were going to let it end. Over
40 years of hard work is enough to make anyone weary.
Some said there was a lack of interest.
Some said the city was concerned over insurance liability.
The committee and those who did the work were disbanding.
Bill Carman was chairman of what was then known as the
Chattanooga Area Veterans Coordinating Committee. A retired Air Force sergeant, Bill was concerned—as were
many others. He was calling me and
many others. We were holding a
Veterans for Good Government meeting. Tom
Reeves had driven down from Murfreesboro to warn on the dangers of North Korea.
Gaines Hobbs came, as did Kim Harpe.
Gaines was Mayor Gene Roberts' executive assistant and Kim was Gov. Don
Sundquist’s local assistant. Edith
Adkins was there and we all talked with Gains about the city’s interest or
lack of interest. He said, no
problem with insurance as far as the city was concerned.
Bill asked me to set up a meeting at the mayor’s
office. Gaines met with Ralph
Wilson, Bob Lahiere, John Jones, Edith and me.
He assured us of the city’s cooperation. Ralph presented a resolution written by Mike Hair, who had
been vocal for months in preserving the parade.
After many years of working with the parade, Edith knew
who could do what. She had a file
of names and their experience. First
meeting was at the Army Reserve Center on 23 rd Street.
Bill had me nominate Edith for chairperson, which was a logical choice.
She chose Bill Raines as the military projects officer.
He had been her student in the fifth grade. Another student, Earl Freudenberg, was drafted to work on
publicity. She put Earl and me
together. Earl used his contacts to
get PR. I took a few pictures and
faxed some information. George
Moody had his camera at every meeting.
Each year a branch of service is honored as the host
unit. For the first year of
sponsorship in 1995, we dedicated it to the veterans who had saved the event.
The organization’s name was changed to Chattanooga
Area Veterans Council, but it was still an informal group—just doing their
job. The annual meeting in 1995 was
at the Loft with everyone sitting elbow to elbow when Jim Darling introduced
guest speaker Cindy Sexton. With
those beautiful blue eyes captivating the audience, she told how her father had
served in the military and how much she appreciated veterans. We were a close group.
Edith ran the parade committee with the same discipline
she would have used in her fifth grade class.
Some egos were ruffled, but she got the job done.
There was no luncheon at the Read House.
That first year we met at Miller Park for breakfast—sausage, biscuits
and coffee basically. We had a brief ceremony.
Terrie Frederick was in charge of the Gold Star mothers and was busy
fretting over them.
It wasn’t the smoothest operation anyone ever had, but
it worked. And it had been put
together in only a few weeks. Now
one parade isn’t over before the next one is being planned, and the parade as
a one-day event has become a week long observance.
The luncheon at the Read House has military brass from around the world.
It’s a must attend affair and well orchestrated, usually with Carl
Levi’s deft hand.
The parade that almost wasn’t has come a long way.
No one person saved the parade. Bill Carman didn’t do it along.
Neither did Edith Adkins or others.
But there were there when they were needed. They deserve to be remembered for what they did.
With their work, Chattanooga continued to be the only city of its size
with an uninterrupted Armed Forces Day observance.
Someone at the last parade committee meeting mentioned
going from a weeklong observance to a month.
Lordy! There is enough
stress in one week. But that’s
progress. It’s been a long way
from that first gathering in Miller Park. Who
knows where it goes from here? Someone
else will be picking up the torch.
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