photo by: Mike Yoder

A group of veterans march in the Veterans Day Parade through downtown Lawrence on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017.

The Stars and Stripes will be on full display in this year’s Veterans Day Parade in downtown Lawrence.

On Nov. 11, Massachusetts Street will be lined with citizens ready to honor, remember and thank veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. Opening ceremonies start at 10:30 a.m., followed by the parade at 11.

The parade is a rain-or-shine event that will begin lining up at Seventh and Massachusetts streets and will end at South Park. The opening ceremony will be in the 600 block of Massachusetts Street, led by the Rev. Verdell Taylor. The parade is put on by the Lawrence Veterans Day Association.

“The parade is usually held on a Monday when it falls on a weekend, but the committee was insistent that for the 100-year anniversary, the parade be held on Sunday,” said Michelle Mailand, vice chair of the parade association.

Church bells will ring at Plymouth Congregational Church and Trinity Lutheran Church at 11 a.m., marking the 11th hour on the 11th day in the 11th month, 100 years to the day, that the World War I armistice was signed in 1918, Mailand said.

Three hundred veterans registered for last year’s event, according to the parade association. The association accommodates veterans in every way possible to make sure everyone can participate in the parade. Each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces has a float for participants to ride on, but veterans are welcome to walk the parade route, as well.

“Last year, one of the big hits was the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, or tank. Most of the military vehicles in the parade come from private individuals, but the Bradley was on loan from the military. The one we had scheduled was actually deployed recently, so we don’t know what they will send this year,” Mailand said.

New to this year’s ceremony will be a Gold Star Memorial float. The parade association has constructed a special Gold Star Memorial gravestone to ride in the parade, filled with the names of soldiers killed in action.

According to army.mil, the U.S. Army’s official website, starting in World War I, service banners were hung by families featuring blue stars for each of their family members serving in the war; when one of those members died, the star was replaced by a gold star to let the community know the price that family had paid.

Family members and friends of fallen soldiers are encouraged to add the names of their loved ones to the memorial before the ceremonies begin at the memorial kiosk in the 600 block of Massachusetts Street.

The parade will also feature The Marching Jayhawks, along with color guards from area veterans organizations. Veterans from the Abdallah Shrine of Overland Park will also be in attendance.

The parade association is made up of volunteers who dedicate their time throughout the year. Raising funds for security, setting up the parade route and cleanup are all handled by association volunteers.

Anyone is eligible to participate in the parade. Veterans can register for free, while individuals, companies and organizations may register to participate for a fee. To register for the parade, to volunteer or for more information, visit www.lawrenceveteransday.org .