The 30th  Veterans Day Parade Winds through Downtown St. Louis this Saturday

The Celebration will begin with the Air Force Band of Mid America Airlifter Brass playing patriotic music. 

The ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m., which will include a Stamp Dedication Ceremony by the U.S. Post Office. The parade will start at 12:00 Noon, beginning with the Massing of the Colors. 

This year’s Grand Marshals were selected in honor of the 60 year anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. They are Korean War veterans: SMSgt. Harry Hope, Mr. Tom Gilmore, Mr. Dwight (Ike) Henderson, and Mr. Woody Powell. Joining the Korean War veterans is Grand Marshal Lt. Gen. Darren McDew, Commander, 18th Air Force at Scott Air Force Base, who will also serve as guest speaker at the celebration.

SMSgt. (ret.) Harry Hope served 39 years. He started his military career in the Navy, moved to the Marines, transferred to the Air Force Reserves and retired from the Air National Guard. He was involved at Inchon, at the Chosin Reservoir and the re-taking of Seoul, Korea when he served with the 1st Marine Division. He is president of the Chosin Few Gateway Chapter, Chairman Emeritus of the Greater St. Louis Honor Flight Program, member of the 1st Marine Division Association, the St. Louis Chapter Korean War Veterans Association, PVT Phillips Detachment Marine Corps League, the VFW, the American Legion, and the Retired Enlisted Association.

Mr. Tom Gilmore enlisted in the Navy at the Soldiers Memorial in 1951 and was sent to basic training in 1952. He was attached to the Marine Corps and assigned to a Republic of South Korean Marine Corps unit, serving in a variety of missions to ensure the security of Wonsan Harbor and coastline. He is a life member of the St. Louis Chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association and its representative on the Soldiers Memorial Commission. He is a life member of the Disabled American Veterans.

Mr. Dwight Henderson joined the U.S. Army in 1950 and was the Gunner on a half tank and half artillery piece. He was wounded three weeks before the ceasefire in 1953 and received a Purple Heart, pinned on by General Mark Clark. He continues to serve in the community by running a bingo game at Jefferson Barracks Hospital, which is sponsored by the Missouri Chapter One of the Korean War Veterans Association. He is the Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Volunteer Services for Missouri, and Chairman of “Tell America Program” and member of the Korean War Veterans Association.

Mr. Powell enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1950 and served until 1954. He was stationed in Korea from 1952 to 1953 serving as military policeman with a canine unit. Recently, he became Executive Director of Veterans for Peace. He currently serves as a Veteran Drug Court Mentor. He has also co-authored a book, "Two Walk the Golden Road" with Zhou Ming-fu, a Chinese soldier, which is about their lives and experiences, on two different sides, in the Korean War. 

South bound Tucker will be closed from Olive to Market and that Olive will be closed from Tucker to 20th for staging the parade. The staging area closure begins at 9:00 am and reopens after the all of the parade units have started.