Residents Celebrate the Red, White, and Blue
Huge Turnout for Annual Memorial Day Parade

Residents young and old lined the streets Monday morning for the 91st Naperville Memorial Day Parade, through downtown Naperville.

"It s very nice for them to do it because the people in Naperville they really go for the Veterans here in town and they support us," said World War II veteran and long time Naperville resident Arnold Massier.

Naperville is honoring the people who have served their country as well as showing their appreciation by coordinating the traditional parade.

"This is about them. This is about remembering them. This is also remembering the men and women serving us now," said parade co-chair Jack Shiffler "The size today is between sixty and sixty-five thousand."

The quote "freedom isn't free" is inscribed in the Shanower 9-11 memorial at City Hall, where Memorial Day honorees and committee members gathered for the first of several services that were Monday before the parade.

The parade itself starts at Centennial Beach and heads east on Jackson Avenue; then winds north on Webster Street; east on Jefferson Street; north on Brainard Street; west on Van Buren Avenue; north on Court Place; east on Benton Avenue; and ends at Ss. Peter and Paul parking lot.

"We are having a great time," said Naperville resident Kathy Embry.

"It's a great way to kick off the warm weather and the summer," said parade supporter Mike Umbenhower. "It's just always a fun time for us to come out."

Several services were also conducted throughout the city Monday.

"Memorial Day is to honor the fallen but I think we should treat it as a day of remembrance and reconciliation," said Brigadier General, Marcia Anderson. "It's important to have these types of events to memorialize the sacrifice people have made over the years."

Elitsa Bizios Reports.