Marshall County Magistrate Zachary Allman hopes the streets of Moundsville will be lined with the community for the revival of Moundsville's Veterans Day parade. (photo provided)

MOUNDSVILLE – Veterans will walk down Jefferson Avenue together for the first time in more than 50 years this Veterans Day as part of the revival of the Marshall County Veterans Parade.

Marshall County Magistrate Zachary Allman, who served in the U.S. Army in Iraq from 2000 to 2004, decided to bring back the parade after attending Memorial Day festivities in Dallas, West Virginia, this year.

“Dallas has this big, community-based celebration where all these families come together and celebrate veterans with this beautiful parade,” Allman said. “I had never been to the event before and I was so excited. I told everyone at the Memorial Day service in Moundsville last year, 'We need to step up our game.'”

Allman noted that the last Veterans Day parade in Moundsville was in the 1960s, and he is still trying to find out the exact day of the last celebration from local historians. Given the county's “huge population” of veterans, it “only made sense” for Allman to bring them together to celebrate the sacrifices of their brothers in arms.

Local historian Gary Riders helped Allman organize the service in collaboration with local veterans groups. Veterans organizations that have committed to participating in the parade include Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and the Moundsville Veterans Honor Guard.

In addition to the local veteran community supporting the parade, Allman said local school bands and dance teams will also participate in the parade.

“This parade is one of those things that we have a year to make it great, because if it doesn't and no one shows up, we'll probably have to wait another 60 years before we try again,” Riders noted. “It's still win and lose at this point, but we're getting great feedback, not just from the veteran community, but from the general community who want to support this and make it a great cause.”

The parade lineup begins at noon on November 11th in front of the West Virginia Penitentiary. At 2 p.m., the group begins its march north on Jefferson Avenue to Second Street, where it ends.

Dave Schoenian, a member of the Moundsville Veterans Honor Guard and a Vietnam War veteran, will be one of the local veterans participating in the parade. He praised Allman's efforts to get the parade back on track, adding that he was pleased with the “efforts to keep patriotism alive” in the area.

“He (Allman) is trying to revive a tradition that faded over the years and was never resumed,” Schoenian said. “All the small towns in the valley used to have Veterans Day and Fourth of July parades. This young man is a patriot and wants those patriotic aspirations to return, and I don’t blame him for that.”

Allman called being a veteran “one of the greatest parts” of his life, citing the connection and connection he has found with the local veteran community. Although he may be younger than many members of local veterans organizations, Allman emphasized the importance of being present at the organizations and trying to be a leader in the community.

“Our service is a bond we all share,” Allman said. “I remember when I came back from the war and we landed in Bangor, Maine and the entire runway was lined with World War II, Vietnam War and Desert Storm veterans just waiting for us to show up so they could give us the We could shake hands and welcome us home.

“Although we have not served in the same way, we all have different experiences and have served all over the world,” Allman continued. “We share this common bond of service, and there is nothing like shared suffering to bring people together, as well as the bond we have through service and pride in our country.”

Allman added that the veterans community in Marshall County is particularly “proud.” He hopes the strong bond between local veterans and their “pride of country” will be showcased in the parade.

“I encourage veterans to come out with their family members so that their contributions are recognized,” Allman said. “I want our entire community to also come out and see them waving their American flags on Jefferson Avenue. I want this to give local veterans renewed pride, not only in themselves and our community, but also in our country.”