Doylestown Honors Its Fallen Heroes With Huge Parade, Solemn Ceremony

DOYLESTOWN, PA — In a tradition dating back more than a century and a half, Doylestown honored its fallen heroes on Monday with a parade like no other.

Stretching from one end of town to the other, thousands joined this year's march through town in a tribute to the men and women who gave their all on the battlefields of history.

Local veterans led the parade, carrying the colors in remembrance of their fallen comrades and no doubt thinking about friends and loved ones they lost in war. Their appearance brought sustained applause along the crowded parade route.

Flags were everywhere, held in the hands of the youngest infant to the oldest veteran. And red, white and blue decorated floats, clothing and posters.

(Doylestown Fire Company photo)

(photo by Jeff Werner)

(Doylestown Fire Company Photo)

Members of the Doylestown Borough Council. (Doylestown Borough photo)

Veterans waved from floats, some wearing their military uniforms and decorations. And bands from throughout the Central Bucks School District performed patriotic music.

Doylestown Fire Company No. 1 brought out its antique Ahrens “Fox” Pumper, which is celebrating its centennial this year.

And the Village Improvement Association celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding of the Doylestown Hospital with Visiting Nurse Miss Munsey and an antique car.

Numerous community groups and organizations also joined the march including the Kin Center and Pine2Pink, the Lenape Valley Foundation, the League of Women Voters, the Republicans and Democrats, the Fitzpatrick School of Irish Dance, Roxy Therapy Dogs, the Doylestown Lions Club, the American Red Cross, the Town & Country Players, Lighthouse Baptist Church, Pine Run Retirement Community, Joe Tappers of Doylestown, the Fred Astaire Dance Studio and others/

Also joining the lineup were numerous Scouting and athletic organizations, including the BuxMont League 2022 Swimming and Diving champions, the Doylestown Athletic Association, Plumstead Softball, Camp Curiosity, Central Bucks Gymnastics, and others.

Following the parade, veterans from throughout Central Bucks gathered at the Doylestown Cemetery to pay tribute to the fallen by laying wreaths, sounding taps and offering prayers.

"These graves represent the resting places of many departed comrades who served in all of our wars," said Staff Sergeant Dave Jacoby of the 111th Attack Wing at Biddle Air Force Base. "Where ever the body of a comrade lies, that ground is hallowed.

"Our presence here is in solemn commemoration of all these men and women and an expression of and our tribute to their devotion to duty, to their courageousness, to their patriotism," said Jacoby. "And by their service on land, on sea and in the air they have made us their debtors because in no small way they are responsible for our freedom today.

"Because of the efforts of our fallen brothers and sisters, the flag of our great nation still flies over the land of a free people. We are the land of the free because of the brave," he said.

The parade is organized by Doylestown Borough in conjunction with local veterans organizations. Serving as the parade marshal this year was U.S. Navy Veteran Chris Suessenguth, who served from 1977 to 1984.