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Parade of heroes draws near: Borough of Muncy to host annual Lycoming County Veterans Day Parade

A prayer is said at the beginning of the Lycoming County Veterans Parade Committee in Jersey Shore Nov. 5, 2022. Hundreds turned out to watch the hour-long parade which was held this year in downtown Jersey Shore. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Don’t miss the annual Lycoming County Veterans Day Parade in Muncy, which steps off at 2 p.m. on Nov. 9, and features a retired Army staff sergeant as the parade grand marshal and a U.S. Marine as a parade ambassador. It’s held two days before the official Veterans Day holiday.

This year the parade will form at Musser Lane at 12:30 p.m. The parade rotates to different communities yearly, and will step off promptly at 2 p.m., according to Doug Lane, president of the Lycoming County Veterans Parade Commission.

“We welcome everyone to come out and show your support for our nation’s veterans,” he said.

This year’s parade will have military contingents, musical bands – headed up by the Muncy and Hughesville high school bands, along with other bands in high schools around the county that were invited, he said.

Spectators can look for floats, fire companies, police and first responders, antique cars and motorcycle clubs.

Also parading will be the Nittany Highland Pipe Band made up of musicians from central Pennsylvania. Founded in 1973 near the Pennsylvania State University, the band maintains an active schedule of parades and performing, promoting and perpetuating the skills and traditions of Highland bagpiping and Scottish drumming.

The parade will be led by the Pennsylvania State Police, followed by the Edward J. Smith Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3428 Color Guard, Parade Grand Marshal Staff Sgt. Charles E. Shreck and Parade Ambassador Sgt. Barron L. Zimmers, USMC.

The reviewing stand will be at Brelsford Motors, the reviewing officer will be Staff Sgt. Martin Payne, a Vietnam War veteran and alongside him will be two judges, Ann Marie Baker and Alivia Tagliaferri.

The Jersey Shore Veterans Council Honor Guard will be in attendance. After Father Bert Kozen offers the prayer and invocation, the National Anthem will follow, the Honor Guard will render the 21-gun salute and Taps will be played to honor the deceased veterans.

“Muncy is proud to host the Lycoming County Veterans Day Parade,” said Bill Scott, a borough council member.

“The borough is proud to honor and recognize our nation’s veterans and service members,” he added.

“We are excited to have the borough of Muncy host this year’s Veteran’s Day Parade … and look forward to you joining us in celebrating our veterans”

The parade route is from Musser Lane and down Main Street to Mechanic Street. It is not too late to be a part of the parade, Scott remarked.

Shreck was raised in the Watsontown area and graduated from Warrior Run High School.

He joined the Navy on Jan. 9, 1961, and went to basic training at Great Lakes, Illinois, then to Memphis, Tennessee for class A Aviation Structural Mechanic School.

From there he went to Air Anti-Submarine Squadron 31 in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The squadron deployed aboard the USS Wasp CVS-18.

“We were on station in the Atlantic for John Glenn’s space shot in 1962 and we left there and went on President John F. Kennedy’s Good Will tour to the North Atlantic,” Shreck said.

In 1963, Shreck was with the squadron aboard the USS-Wasp on the Cuban Blockade.

From there he went back to Memphis for class B Aviation Structural Mechanic School and to Naval Aviation Air Station Beeville, Texas, where he was assigned to Training Squadron 26 in the airframes maintenance department, repairing F-11s and F-9J aircraft.

Apollo 12 recovery

In 1969, Shreck was transferred to the USS Hornet CVS-12, home ported in Long Beach for the Apollo 12 recovery team. He was discharged from the Navy Jan. 9, 1970 as an Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class.

In 1977, Shreck joined the U.S. Army Reserves as a Spec-5 and trained as a supply specialist.

He then attained the rank of staff sergeant.

In September 1980, Shreck transferred to Co. B 3rd Bn. 35th Infantry, Worcester, as a supply sergeant and on Dec. 30, 1980, he transferred to USAR Control Group, St. Louis, and was discharged Oct. 30, 1984.

In November 1990, Shreck joined the Army National Guard’s Co. F-728th Maint. Bn. in Lock Haven as a staff sergeant. He then trained at Indiantown Gap in M-1 Tank maintenance. The unit changed its designation to Co. D 728th Main Support Bn. and he retired in January 1999.

Shreck has been a life member of the Muncy VFW where he served as commander three times and has been the quartermaster for the past 28 years.

He also is a member of the American Legion Post 268 and is past president of the Lycoming County Veterans Council.

Zimmers was born June 14, 1947, in Somerset County and grew up in Berlin.

A graduate of Berlin Brothers-Valley High School in 1965, Zimmers initially planned to go into the Air Force but had to wait six months due to a spinal meningitis quarantine at Lackland Air Force Base.

In March 1966, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in Johnstown, and was in Parris Island, South Carolina, a month later. Upon completion of boot camp, Zimmers was sent to Camp Lejeune, Camp Geiger and Camp Stone Bay in North Carolina for Infantry Training.

After a short leave, he received orders for C&E School in San Diego. He received his first MOS of 2533, Radio Telegraph Operator and received orders to 1st ANGLICO, 1st Marine Division, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, to be a forward observer.

An injury sent Zimmers back stateside and after recovering received his 2nd MOS as a Fire Control Radar Tech on F4-B Phantom II aircraft.

He was then stationed in Beaufort, South Carolina, at an air station assigned to Headquarters Maintenance Squadron 32.

His next set of orders took him to Okinawa, then to Iwakuni, Japan, where he was assigned to VMFA-122, a Phantom squadron, then to H&MS-15.

His next stop was Chu Lai, Vietnam, and after serving his tour, his enlistment was coming to an end and he came back home on the USS Ogden, LP-5, which anchored off Del Mar, California.

In 1970, he received an honorable discharge and went home.

Zimmers was past Commandant and current Adjutant, Marine Corps League Det. # 388, Williamsport.

He is currently junior vice commander of VFW Post 3428, Muncy, and a member of American Legion Post 268, Muncy and a Delegate of the Lycoming County Veterans Council, living in Muncy.

After the parade all parade participants are invited back to the VFW 3428 Post for a small luncheon.

Starting at $2.99/week.

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