The 12th annual Veterans Day parade is scheduled for Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. with a patriotic program honoring all military veterans beginning at 10 a.m. in front of the historic depot. Veterans Day will be recognized nationally on Nov. 11.  

Parade organizer Lee Y. Greene said he is glad to have been a part of the supportive community that has accepted the annual parade as a new tradition in town.  

“Robert Dotson, Cleo Stubbs and I started the parade 13 years ago on Veterans Day after the PBS series about Vietnam aired,” Greene said. “I asked the two veterans if they were treated as badly as the series portrayed upon their return home. Both had stories of having to change out of uniform after landing on the West Coast. At that time, many veterans were returning from the Middle East, so we decided right then that we would not let another Veterans Day in Hartselle pass without a parade to thank them all and welcome then home. 

“The City of Hartselle eventually made it a city event, so the (parade) could be perpetual. The goal was to make the event free for all,” he added.  

From its humble beginnings, the parade has grown to include 6-8 floats, dozens of antique cars and trucks, high school bands and many local scouting groups, according Greene.  

Col. Brian Williams will be speaking during the patriotic program. Williams is the new commander of Hartselle’s American Legion.  

The Veterans Parade program welcomes our Veterans home and allows many groups to participate, such as the HHS Civil Air Patrol and the Decatur ROTC units to do combined marches. It sort of runs itself after all these years, but does require time to apply for permitting and getting the word out. 

The parade will begin on Railroad Street and continue down Main Street.  

For more information, contact Greene at 256-773-2304.