If You Only Go to One Memorial Day Observance, This Should Be It

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Dearborn’s 91st Annual Memorial Day Parade, one of the largest in the United States and the oldest in Michigan, pays tribute to military veterans who sacrificed their lives in service their country and communities.

Organized each year by the Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council (DAWVC) and the City of Dearborn, the parade includes school bands, community organizations, flyovers of jets and historic aircraft, and hundreds of veterans.

This year’s parade will also pay tribute to the first responders who risk their lives, and will specifically recognize Dearborn police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty.

Memorial Day activities will begin with a 9:40 a.m. military funeral procession along Michigan Avenue honoring two WWII Army veterans who died without resources and whose cremains have been stored for years in Michigan funeral homes.

They are First Lieutenant Lyle Martin Baylor, who died in 1979; and Private First Class John Spaman, who died in 1986.

Read more from Patch’s 2014 archives about the campaign to give dignified burials to America’s veterans: Final Resting Place for 250,000 Vets Is a Tin Can on a Shelf

At 10 a.m., the parade will travel its traditional route along Michigan Avenue from Greenfield to Schaefer, ending at Dearborn City Hall Park at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Schaefer. (The parade route remains the same, despite the 2014 move of city offices.)

Following the parade, the public is invited to stay at City Hall Park for a noon remembrance ceremony at the War Memorial. It will include a military funeral ritual for the two WWII veterans and music by the 338th Army Band.

The 338th Army Band is directed by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ronald Kuntz and features members from the band’s locations in Livonia and Columbus, Ohio.

More Memorial Day stories on Patch: Where to Celebrate Memorial Day 2015 in Southeast Michigan | 5 Stupid Things You Shouldn’t Do On Michigan Lakes This Memorial Day Weekend

The noon ceremony keynote address will be given by the parade’s grand marshal, Ryan “Birdman” Parrott, who was a Navy SEAL for eight years and completed multiple combat tours in Iraq.

Parrott and other members of his unit suffered burn injuries in 2005 when the Humvee they were riding in struck an improvised explosive device.

After completing his service, Parrott established Sons of the Flag, a nonprofit organization committed to supporting military, first responder, and civilian burn survivors and their families.

The Department of Veterans Affairs will be displaying one of its Mobile Vet Centers on Maple Street south of Michigan Avenue. The 30-foot center will be open to the public untilnoon.

The VA uses the center to help veterans readjust to civilian life, provide counseling for vets and their families, and offer some health care.

DAWVC Commander Sean Green said his group’s mission this year has been to strengthen the bond among those who serve in the military, police and fire services.

“The Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council is proud to partner with the City of Dearborn each year in order to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives while in service to our country,” Green said. “This year that tribute extends to all who protect and serve including military service members, police officers and firefighters.

“I want to thank the thousands of community members and veterans from across our state who will join us on this day of tribute to the men and women and their families who gave so much so we could be free,” he said.

The parade is made possible by Comerica Bank, Dearborn Federal Savings Bank, the East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority, Ford Motor Company, the Foundation for American Veterans, Kroger at Michigan Avenue and Greenfield, and contributions from participating community groups.

To learn more about Dearborn’s Memorial Day parade, including the parade lineup, visit the City of Dearborn’s Memorial Day webpage.