The Carbon County Veterans Council announced the annual parade will be Sunday, with a rain date of Nov. 13. This year’s parade is hosted by the Palmerton United Veterans Organization and will be held in Palmerton starting at 2 p.m.

The grand marshal this year is Christopher “Chris” Olivia who is a lifetime resident of Palmerton and a graduate of Palmerton High School Class of 1966. One week after graduation, he and four of his fellow graduates began their service to our country as Marines.

After boot camp at Paris Island, training at Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton, he boarded a troop carrier to Vietnam in December 1966. For a year he was deployed to the Quang Tri Province near the 17th parallel separating North and South Vietnam. He was a rifleman and radio man for his company. He arrived back in the United States in January 1968 and was assigned to Quantico in Virginia until his discharge in June 1968. He married his wife, Susan, in July 1968. After trying several jobs, he finally found his niche in the Palmerton Post Office and he served as a letter carrier for 33 years.

Their daughter, Kristin, was born in 1975. After learning to play the flute, she joined the high school marching band. Chris and Sue were band parents for six years, with Chris serving as its president in her senior year.

Olivia was active in the community during this time. He served on the board of the Blue Ridge Country Club as its secretary for almost 20 years. He served the borough on the Tree Commission and as a zoning officer. He was appointed to the borough council in 2000 and served as vice-president for 10 years, until being appointed Mayor in 2010.

He was named Mayor of the Year by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2016. In 2020, he resigned as mayor due to his daughter’s fight against leukemia. Sadly, she died of the disease in July 2020.

He had the privilege of serving on the committees to honor fellow veterans General Reggie Hernandez and Sgt. Major of the Army Dan Dailey.

Currently, Olivia is on the council vacancy board for the Borough of Palmerton.

He most enjoys the time he gets to spend with his two grandsons. Aaron is a sophomore at James Madison University, and Luke is a junior at Central Bucks South.

Before the Parade, a Quilts of Valor award ceremony will take place, led by the Palmerton UVO at 1 p.m. at the Veteran’s Memorial located at the Palmerton Borough Park.

The parade will be telecast live on Blue Ridge Communications TV 13 with the reviewing stand across from the Borough Hall. Monetary awards will be presented to the best appearing Color Guard, best appearing band, and best appearing float. Judges will be Palmerton Mayor, Don Herrmann and his wife Mary, Palmerton Council Member Richard Nothstein and his wife Darlene, Jim Thorpe Mayor, Michael Sofranko and his wife Therese, and Jim Thorpe Council President, Greg Strubinger and his wife Rose Marie.

Free American celebration flags will be distributed throughout the parade while supplies last.

Parade participants are required to register, before arriving at their designated division, at the Palmerton Post Office parking lot, 128 Delaware Avenue. Lineups start forming at noon and all participants are asked to be in place by 1:45 p.m. The Parade will start promptly at 2 p.m. at 3rd Street and Delaware Avenue, pause for a brief ceremony at the Veterans Memorial at the borough park and proceed to Seventh Street, where it will disband.

Traffic will be detoured from noon until the parade passes Seventh Street. The detour will start on First Street to Lehigh Avenue to Seventh Street and back on to Delaware Avenue.

Division 1: Palmerton Police Department with Mayor Don & Mrs. Herrmann; Palmerton UVO - Color Front /American Legion Post 269 & VFW Post 7134; Grand Marshal, Christopher Olivia; Palmerton Legion Post 269, Commander Ed Moyer & Adjutant Victor Jahelka III; Palmerton UVO - Palmerton Legion Post 269 & SALs, & VFW Post 7134; Palmerton UVO - Miss Poppy Maci Borger & Legion Mascot Logan Smale; Carbon County Director of Veterans Affairs, Christine LeClair; Palmerton Area High School Blue Bomber Marching Band; Carbon County Fair Queen, Kiersten Gursky & Jr. Miss Morgan Myers; Palmerton Area Girl Scouts Service Unit 728; Scout Troop 209, Towamensing Township; Palmerton UVO - USMC Van Driven by Sgt. Ed Baranski; Palmerton UVO - 1942 World War II Jeep - Driven by Joe Plechavy, III; 1943 Jeep Willy MB3 - Larry Hahn; James Schneider, Restored Military Jeep; Palmerton Class of 1964; Arthur Grammes 1957 Chevy; Andrew Hollywood, Palmerton Borough Councilman; American Legion Post 269, Larry Buck; 1968 Kiaser Jeep M715

American Legion Post 16, Mike Marino, Slatington; Palmerton Fire Department; Aquashicola Volunteer Fire Co.; Bowmanstown Fire Department.

Division 2: Carbon County Sheriff, Daniel Zeigler; American Legion Post 304, Jim Thorpe, Colorgard; American Legion Post 304, Jim Thorpe; American Legion Auxiliary Unit 304; Weatherly Area School District Band; Schuylkill-Carbon Marine Corp League Colorguard; Vietnam Veterans Organization of Carbon County; U. S. Submarine Veterans, Pocono Base; Senator David Argall & State Representative Doyle Heffley; Congressman Dan Meuser’s Office, Tom Gerhard; Carbon County Recorder of Deeds, Donna Gentile; Boy Scout Troop 138; Jukebox Cruisers.

Division 3: Lehighton UVO Colorguard - American Legion Post 314 & Amvest Post 106; Lehighton UVO; Lehighton Are High School Indian Pride Band; American Legion Post 314 Auxiliary, Miss Poppy Jocelyn Montefour; Lehighton Area Girl Scouts; Yenser’s Tree Farm, Trees for Troops; Solt’s Services & Sweet Nightmares by Amanda; Perseverance Jazz Band; American Legion Riders Post 470, Bath; Veterans Assisted Living Outreach (VALOR); Carbon County Shrine Club; Mahoning Valley Vol. Fire Company No. 1; Lehighton Fire Department.

Division 4:

American Legion Post 123 Colorguard; Panther Valley JROTC; Panther Valley Jr/Sr High School Band & Cheerleaders; Navy Club of Carbon County ship 260 NCUSA; VFW Post 8008, Poppy Queen & King; Girl Scouts in the Heart of PA; Panther Valley Cub Scout Pack 765; The Classic Car Gang; Gregory A. Badger Calliope; American Legion Post 170, Coaldale; American Fire Company No. 1, Lansford; Volunteer Fire Company #1, Coaldale; Diligence Fire Company #1, Summit Hill

Forks of the Delaware Tin Lizzies.