July 4 VFW Parades by Tom Beardsley and Pete Zizka 7-2-2022 |
Long before the days of
the Willimantic Boom Box Parade, the city held an annual military parade
organized by the local Veterans of
Foreign Wars post to celebrate Independence Day.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States traces its
roots back to 1899, when
the Veterans of the
Spanish-American War (1898)
and the Philippine
Insurrection (l899~l902) founded
local organizations to secure rights and benefits for veterans of
the fighting forces. A number of amalgamations followed, and by I913,
the current VFW was in existence.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars in Willimantic, Gold Star Post No.
1724, was very active in local civic events. For several years, the Post
organized not only a July 4th parade but a day filled with
activities. In 1932, the Post honored the 200th birthday of
George Washington. More than a thousand people gathered at Soldiers
Memorial Park in the evening for a concert and display of fireworks. The
1933 celebration began on the evening of July 3 with a bonfire attended
by more than 8,000 people. The VFW had a full day of activities planned
for the 4th itself. In 1935, the VFW had a “Pageant of
Nations” and bonfire on July 3 and the usual full day of events on the 4th.
In 1937, the VFW hosted its tenth July 4th celebration
and planned it as a two full-day event. A parade, concert, bonfire and
amateur vaudeville contest were the among the activities on the 4th. On
Monday the 5th, there were two softball games, drill team competitions,
drum and bugle corps contests, a flyover by the Aviation Corps of the
National Guard and “an elaborate fireworks display”. Part of the VFW’s
1938 celebration was its hosting of the VFW state parade and convention.
The July 4th celebration held in 1940 was particularly
poignant, as the country
seemed to be on the verge
of another World War. German forces were overrunning Europe, and the
Pacific East was coming under the control of Japanese forces.
The 1940 celebrations were based at Wood's Field on Jackson
Street, where daylong activities culminated in a bonfire and fireworks
display. The military parade included VFW members dressed in American
army uniforms dating from the Revolutionary War, the War of l8l2 and the
Spanish American War. The marchers assembled at Lincoln Square, and were
led by the VFW boys bugle and drum corps at Lincoln Square. The Garde
St. Mary followed them and the military assembly marched up Main Street
to Bank Street, turned right onto Bank Street and right again onto
Valley Street,and down to
Jackson Street where they marched to Wood's Field.
When the parade reached Woods Field, a crowd of more than 6,000
was awaiting them. The various organizations conducted military drills,
and then in turn they lowered their colors. The large crowd then
assembled around the central
stage where Dr.(Major) William Keating, recently discharged from
service at the U.S. Veterans Hospital at Newington,
took the oath of office as the commander of the Gold Star Post
No. 1724.
The audience then settled down to watch an amateur vaudeville
contest, which was won by Rjcharcl Vie, who performed several popular
vocal selections. The Gude twins were awarded the runners-up prize. Then
followed a concert by the Thread City Band. Unfortunately, the heavens
opened just as the concert came to an end, and to everyone‘s
disappointment the bonfire
and firework display had to
be postponed until the following evening.
The bonfire and an “elaborate pyrotechnic exhibition “eventually
went ahead, and the police, Windham Hospital and the Willimantic Fire
Department reported that there
had been no serious injuries
or fires in the city, as had been the
case in previous years because of
the careless setting off of fireworks. The Willimantic VFW hit
the headlines in early
1942, when it agreed to turn back to the government a 75 mm French
cannon, and a heavy mobile
trench cannon, which had been obtained
from the War Department after
World War l. Both guns were constructed of steel and weighed in
at over two tons each. They had been in storage since the state VFW
parade in 1938, when the heavy guns had been towed along Main Street by
tractors. T Click on photo for larger version |
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