Military veterans were honored Sunday in Carbon County with a four-division parade that took well over an hour to pass.

The parade, held in Jim Thorpe, was represented by veterans from throughout the county - from Beaver Meadows to Palmerton. It featured every high school band in Carbon County, as well as two other bands, military vehicles, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, soccer teams, fire departments, car clubs and numerous other groups."I thought it was a very nice parade," said Henry Desrosiers, director of veterans affairs in Carbon County. "We had four wonderful, long divisions. The weather was fabulous. I was pleased with the number of participants and spectators."Possibly due to the mild weather, viewer attendance at the parade was believed to have been the highest in years.Bands which participated were high schools from Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Palmerton, Panther Valley and Weatherly. In addition, the Perseverance Jazz Band and the Rajah Temple Band rode on floats.Several people along the parade route held signs thanking veterans.Besides Carbon County participants, the parade also featured the Coaldale Fire Department from Schuylkill County and the Slatington American Legion from Lehigh County.The grand marshal was Charles Wildoner of Jim Thorpe, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1943-46.Wildoner is a former Carbon County Commissioner and is a longtime business owner in Jim Thorpe.He rode in a convertible in the first division.Members of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps of Panther Valley High School carried the division banners. There also was a lineup of JROTC members marching in the parade.The Jim Thorpe American Legion Color Guard led the march. It consisted of 10 members, two motorcycles, and two members who wore military uniforms. John Gallagher had a Vietnam War era camouflage suit while Marcus Lines wore a Revolutionary War outfit.There were Legionnaires and military veterans from Lehighton, Nesquehoning, Summit Hill, Lansford, Beaver Meadows and Palmerton.The parade formed at Jim Thorpe High School. It proceeded to North Street (Route 903), down North Street to Fifth Street, and then to Center Street.Numerous political figures were part of the march including state Rep. Doyle Heffley, Carbon County Commissioners Wayne Nothstein, Tom Gerhard and William O'Gurek, and Brad Hurley, who represented the office of state Sen. John Yudichak.Many youngsters along the parade route waved small American flags during the march.