Clermont County's annual Veterans Day parade closes Main Street in downtown Batavia on Sunday, Nov. 8, with marchers stepping off at 2 p.m.
The county-wide event draws veterans and families from across Clermont County, which includes Milford. An opening ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. on the steps of the Common Pleas Court at 270 E. Main St. in Batavia, according to a Clermont County government post. Participants will assemble on Haskell Lane starting at 1 p.m.
The parade then travels east from Haskell Lane through the village's business district, the Clermont Guardian reported. The Clermont County Council of the American Legion and the Clermont County Veterans Service Commission organize the event each year.
Retired Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Steve Balczo, the commission's executive director, will deliver the keynote address. Clermont County Commissioner David Painter is scheduled to present a proclamation, and Batavia Mayor Steve Staton is expected to present a resolution renaming the bridge over the East Fork of the Little Miami River the "Veterans & First Responders Memorial Bridge," according to the county.
The village of Batavia said exact road closure times will be posted to its Facebook page once confirmed. The village also encouraged families to find a spot along Main Street to watch the parade.
Nov. 11 ceremony in Union Township
Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 649 holds its 34th annual Veterans Day ceremony at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Helicopter Memorial in Union Township's Veterans Memorial Park, 906 Clough Pike, according to the Clermont Guardian.
The keynote speaker is Cliff Riley, who served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1969 and completed two tours in Vietnam. All veterans in attendance will be recognized by name and branch of service. A golf cart will be available to transport attendees from the parking lot to the memorial, and organizers have a rain backup plan.
The memorial is a Huey combat helicopter mounted on a pair of 12-foot walls engraved with the names of Clermont County residents killed in the Vietnam War. It was dedicated March 21, 1993, and named the Lt. Andrew Haglage Vietnam Veterans Memorial, after a 25-year-old Marine Corps helicopter pilot from Batavia killed in Vietnam in 1969.
Green buildings through November
Five county buildings in Batavia are glowing green through the rest of November as part of Operation Green Light, now in its fifth year, according to the county.
Upcoming
- Sunday, Nov. 8: Clermont County Veterans Day Parade, 2 p.m., Main Street, Batavia. Ceremony at 1:30 p.m., Common Pleas Court steps, 270 E. Main St.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Vietnam Veterans Chapter 649 ceremony, 1 p.m., Veterans Memorial Park, 906 Clough Pike, Union Township.
