Manhattan holds 28th annual Veterans Day parade, ceremony

A little cold and snow couldn't stop the Flint Hills Veterans Coalition 28th annual Veterans Day celebration, honor parade and ceremony Monday morning.

This year's event paid special tribute to the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge and D-Day.

The parade went on as scheduled, with a few adjustments made for warm buses to carry the 24 World War II veterans who were grand marshals of the parade down the parade route.

A number of area schools also loaded their students onto buses to sing and wave to parade goers.

Manhattan’s Veterans Day parade is known to be the largest Veterans Day parade in the state of Kansas.

“Part of our mission is to promote patriotism throughout the community, and we still had that participation from the schools, although none of them marched, they were all in buses, even the 1st ID (infantry division), they stayed in with us but they were all on buses as well, even the horses.” Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, Military Community Liaison, Janet Nichols says.

Following the parade, a Commemorative program was held inside Peace Auditorium at Manhattan’s City Hall.