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Tribute paid to women in military, Veterans Day Essay Contest winners

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<p>You could hear the bagpipes coming over the Market Street Bridge, signaling families at Public Square to line the streetscape and and begin waving their flags to honor our nation&#8217;s veterans and active military personnel.</p><p>The Wyoming Valley Veteran&#8217;s Day Parade kicked off at 2p.m. Sunday, starting at Kingston Corners and coming down Market Street before turning down River and Northampton streets to reach downtown Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>Every year, the parade has a new common theme. Last year, it commemorated a multitude of anniversaries, including the 70th anniversary of V-J Day and the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam War. This year, the event marked it&#8217;s 70th year by doing something its never done before &#8212; honoring women who served in the military.</p><p>&#8220;This the the first time for honoring women in the service,&#8221; said Betty Ambrose, wife of parade committee member Capt. Robert Ambrose. &#8220;And we&#8217;re very proud of that.&#8221;</p><p>U.S. Army Col. Charlie Luce said he couldn&#8217;t have chosen a better theme himself. The municipal coordinator said the theme has been a wonderful and exciting learning experience.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s time has come,&#8221; he said of women being properly acknowledged in the military.</p><p>U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Linda Wackerman was the parade grand marshal, and U.S. Navy Capt. Jean O&#8217;Brien was the reviewing officer. Aside from being females in the military, both women &#8212; as well as parade committee chair and retired Navy Lt. Commander Susan Allen &#8212; served as Naval flyers and were some of the first women to fly in combat missions, according to Ambrose.</p><p>Allen said that the women were struck by the amount of love and support the area shows its troops.</p><p>&#8220;You don&#8217;t see this kind of patriotism everywhere in the United States,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Along with Wackerman and O&#8217;Brien were a number of local students handing American flags to patrons as they walked by the crowds. They were the winners of a Veterans Day essay contest and helped distribute roughly 3,000 small American flags to parade attendees lining the route.</p><p>On Public Square, Tunkhannock resident Emery Millington waited for her son, Cooper, who was one of the winners in the essay contest. A black-and-white photo of her father was clasped tightly in her arms; she extended the photo outward as the parade began to pass by.</p><p>&#8220;Me and my aunt brought pictures of my father and grandfather to honor their memory,&#8221; she said. &#8220;My dad fought in Vietnam and my grandfather was a World War II veteran.&#8221;</p><p>As crowds cheered at a motorcycle brigade passing the reviewing stand, Wilkes-Barre City Council Chairman Bill Barrett looked on with his wife, Betty Jane.</p><p>Barrett, a veteran himself, said the event holds special meaning to him.</p><p>&#8220;As a veteran, I really feel a close attachment,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s great to honor active military and veterans.&#8221;</p><p>He said he enjoyed seeing the crowd that lined the route, but he hopes even more people will continue to attend the parade in coming years. Capt. Ambrose agreed, saying that he hopes more people will recognize and be thankful to veterans &#8212; and not forget their service.</p><p>&#8220;People forget too quickly of the fact that we&#8217;re here,&#8221; he said.</p><p>As &#8220;God Bless America&#8221; came over a loudspeaker from the Irem String Band, children gathered candy off the streets while they waved to Irem Shrine members dressed in costumes. Pennsylvania Army National Guard Specialist James Hunsinger stood straight and alert, looking on as the parade continued.</p><p>The Albrightsville resident has been serving in the National Guard since 2008, coming to Kingston to train once per month. He said he always feels thankful and appreciative every time he participates in the Veteran&#8217;s Day Parade, and has helped coordinate his own troop&#8217;s past participation in the event for a number of years.</p><p>Although the theme may change throughout the years, the meaning of the parade remains the same: to honor and remember the Wyoming Valley&#8217;s veterans and active military. And it&#8217;s a message that Sgt. 1st Class Eric Darling hopes will resonate with the community not only today, but for years to come.</p><p>&#8220;I think getting service members out there, getting people aware of what we do and what we have done and what we continue to do is just important,&#8221; Darling said, &#8220;for people to understand to try and bridge that divide.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade2-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Wyoming Valley West High School Marching Band plays and marches across the Market Street Bridge. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade2-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>The Wyoming Valley West High School Marching Band plays and marches across the Market Street Bridge. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade3-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A military vehicle is driven in the parade through Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade3-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>A military vehicle is driven in the parade through Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. </caption1><photoCredit1>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade4-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Motorcyclists supporting veterans parade over the Market Street Bridge. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade4-2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Motorcyclists supporting veterans parade over the Market Street Bridge. </caption2><photoCredit2>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade5-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Linda Urban, of Wilkes-Barre, waves the American flag with her grandaughters Kaylee, 8, left, Angelina, 4, and Skipper, her cocker spaniel. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade5-2.jpg</photo3><caption3>Linda Urban, of Wilkes-Barre, waves the American flag with her grandaughters Kaylee, 8, left, Angelina, 4, and Skipper, her cocker spaniel. </caption3><photoCredit3>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade6-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Air Force veteran Robert Lippi, 67, of Hazleton, displays his military uniform on his vehicle as he waits for the Veterans Day Parade to proceed down Market Street in Kingston. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade6-2.jpg</photo4><caption4>Air Force veteran Robert Lippi, 67, of Hazleton, displays his military uniform on his vehicle as he waits for the Veterans Day Parade to proceed down Market Street in Kingston. </caption4><photoCredit4>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade7-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Veterans cruise across the Market Street Bridge in Wilkes-Barre during in a convertible. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade7-2.jpg</photo5><caption5>Veterans cruise across the Market Street Bridge in Wilkes-Barre during in a convertible. </caption5><photoCredit5>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit5></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade1-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Members of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard based at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre march in the Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo6>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL1100716parade1-2.jpg</photo6><caption6>Members of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard based at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre march in the Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade on Sunday. </caption6><photoCredit6>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit6></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Wyoming Valley holds 70th annual parade</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><videoMeta><p><table class="mceItemTable" style="border:none;width:98%;"><tbody><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">VideoID:</td><td id="videoid" style="width:50em;font-size:90%;">Lwje3M8RDiI</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">VideoType:</td><td id="videotype" style="font-size:90%;">YOUTUBE</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">URL:</td><td id="url" style="font-size:90%;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwje3M8RDiI</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Embed String:</td><td id="videoembedstring" style="font-size:90%;"> &lt;iframe width=&#8221;560&#8221; height=&#8221;315&#8221; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lwje3M8RDiI&#8221; frameborder=&#8221;0&#8221; allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Caption:</td><td id="videocaption" style="font-size:90%;">The annual Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade was held 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6.</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Credit:</td><td id="videocredit" style="font-size:90%;">Sean McKeag | Times Leader</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Position:</td><td id="videoposition" style="font-size:90%;"> </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="margin-top:10px;font-size:70%;color:#555;">(use the &#8220;for files&#8230;&#8221; link above to associate attached files with this source)</p></videoMeta></div>

Women in military is theme of 70th Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade