The City of Hartselle is commemorating the sacrifice and bravery of local veterans in the Fourth Annual Veterans parade Sat., Nov. 8 at 11 a.m.

This year’s theme is “Welcome Home Brother,” the greeting used by veterans returning home from Vietnam fifty years ago.

Lee Greene Jr. of the Hartselle Historical Society is the parade chairperson. He said the city had invited several groups and businesses around town to participate in the parade.

“We invited several new people this year that I would never have thought to invite,” Greene said. “Several businesses, like the postal service, have a lot of employees who are veterans. Last year we had three marching bands, eight to ten floats, several trucks, vintage army vehicles, fire trucks, the Sheriff’s Humvees and city trucks, and we are expecting about the same this year.”

The parade will line up in the back parking lot of the Hartselle Junior High School at 10 a.m. The parade will follow the normal Christmas parade route along Railroad Street, Main Street and Corsbie Street before ending at the Town and Country Shopping Center around noon.

Greene said the parade has grown tremendously over the four years it has been held.

“The crowd keeps getting bigger each year,” Greene said. “One of the police officers estimated we had about 800 people there to watch last year. It has almost been a victim of its own success because it has grown and done so well that others have started holding their own Veterans Day celebrations that sometimes conflict with ours.”

Greene said the parade started as a way to make sure all local veterans received a welcome home.

“We want them to know we remember their service and that we want to thank them,” Greene said. “They all have stories of what they’ve seen and done in the service whether it was during war-time or peace-time. We wanted to show our support for their sacrifice.”

Entry is free, but entrants are asked to register. The Morgan County Cattlemen’s Association will cook free hotdogs.