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Bremerton honors veterans and military members

67th Annual Armed Forces Day Celebration this weekend

The Armed Forces Day parade in Bremerton is the largest and longest-running in the nation with an anticipated 150 entries this year. Staff photo

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The city of Bremerton will continue its tradition of celebrating the service of veterans and active-duty military members, May 16, with its 67th Annual Armed Forces Day celebration. Family-friendly activities include a "Hero's Barbecue," pancake breakfast and 5K run, but the event that residents look forward to the most each year is the parade, according to Gena Wales, president and CEO of the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce.

She said the parade has been heralded as being the largest and longest-running Armed Forces Day parade in the nation, with attendance typically reaching between 25,000 and 30,000 spectators. This year, organizers are anticipating more than 150 entries including marching bands, floats, high school drill teams, a motorcycle club and more.

"The parade is a way for us to thank our men and women in uniform of the United States Armed Forces," Wales said.

The parade runs from 10 a.m. to noon. The route begins at Olympia College and continues down Warren Avenue to 17th Street to Park Street, turns on Fourth Street to Pacific Avenue and ends at Sixth Street.

The grand marshal of this year's parade is Vice Adm. Charles W. Ray, commander of the Pacific Area of the U.S. Coast Guard. Ray will also be the guest of honor at the Armed Forces Festival Navy League Gala, which will be held beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday evening at the Admiral Theatre. According to the Bremerton-Olympic Council of U.S. Navy League's website, the gala is a finale to the community Armed Forces celebration and honors local military commands by hosting the only black-tie event in the area outside of formal military balls.

The parade, barbecue and gala wrap up a week-long celebration of events that include an Armed Forces Festival Golf Tournament and an Armed Forces Festival Military Culinary Arts Competition.

Armed Forces Day Highlights:

  • 7-10 a.m. Lions Armed Forces Festival Pancake Breakfast. Lions Club members host a pancake breakfast at the corner of Fourth Street and Pacific Avenue. Proceeds from the feed will go toward a scholarship fund for Bremerton High School students.
  • 7:30-8:30 a.m. Armed Forces Day 5K. Runners will participate in the third annual Armed Forces Day 5K. The course runs from the ferry dock through the tunnel, circles around Evergreen Park and ends at the corner of Fourth Street and Pacific Avenue. A link to online registration is on the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce's web site.
  • 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hero's Barbecue. The public is invited to a community barbecue honoring military families. All active-duty military members, Reserve and retired military personnel will receive a free hot dog, chips and a soft drink.

For more information, visit:
http://business.bremertonchamber.org/events/details/67th-annual-armed-forces-day-parade-9564 and
https://bremolympicnlus.wordpress.com/2015/04/21/may-16-puget-sound-energy-armed-forces-festival-heros-barbecue/

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