Honoring local veterans at the 79th Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — November is a time to honor local veterans, and the community did so in a big way in Luzerne County on Sunday.

One of the largest veterans parades in the world led from Kingston to Wilkes-Barre.

Veterans, active military and others who have served crossed the Market Street Bridge from Kingston to Wilkes-Barre Sunday afternoon.

They received a patriotic recognition on the way to Public Square.

“20 years, yeah, it’s hard to imagine how long ago that was,” said Susan Allen, chair of the Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade Committee and veteran lieutenant commander of the U.S. Navy.

Lieutenant Commander Allen served in the Navy for 20 years.

She has also been a member of the Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade Committee for 20 years, having moved to Avoca in the early 2000s.

“When I retired I was asked to remain on the committee and now I am the chairman and every year it is an honor to be out here to honor our veterans,” said Lieutenant Commander Allen.

The sidewalks were lined with people honoring those who served this country and were not fortunate enough to return home.

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“And who isn’t lucky enough to come back unscathed? We have to show that we have respect,” said Pringle’s Helen Grebsky.

Helen Grebsky was also there to honor a special person in her life: her father, who was a World War II veteran.

Honorees included members of the Army’s 109th Field Artillery Unit, midshipmen and American Legion Riders Post 781.

“Today we saw little children with flags waving and parents with flags waving. They are so proud and this parade is as important as any other parade to show our vets that we support them,” said Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown.

For Grebsky, this support and honor doesn’t just happen around the holidays.

She makes sure veterans know they are loved every day.

“The small part I do as a volunteer for these veterans shows how much I honor them,” Grebsky said.

This year’s Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade coincided with the 249th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps.

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