Veterans, community organizations, emergency personnel, dignitaries and the Tamaqua Area Raider Band paraded on an American flag-lined Broad Street in Tamaqua Saturday morning.

Spectators cheered and saluted as the long line made its way from the borough’s east side to west end as part of the Tamaqua American Legion Post 173 Annual Veterans Day Parade.

The parade ended at the post home, where a short ceremony was held.

“One responsibility that all Americans should carry is the remembrance of those who have made our freedom possible,” said speaker Jack Kulp, a U.S. Army veteran from the Vietnam era. “By virtue of your attendance here, you have shown an appreciation for veterans.”

The parade began with an honors’ volley over the Rahn Township/Tamaqua War Memorial on East Broad Street.

Legion members, along with Grand Marshal Sgt. Thomas Jones, led the parade.

Poppy Queen Isabella Swartz, 6, followed, as did Eric Zizelmann, the Tamaqua Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year.

The Tamaqua Raider Band performed selections, and the Tamaqua Raider football team carried a large American flag.

The route ended at the Legion Post Home, where Legion members fired another volley and played “taps.”

Kulp spoke about the origins of Veterans Day since its beginning as Armistice Day at the end of World War I.

“In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, the American Legion led an all-day veterans’ celebration in Emporia, Kansas, which was seen as the spark that zipped the movement for Nov. 11 to be a day to honor every American who honorably served in our nation’s military since the Revolutionary War,” Kulp explained. “The advocacy paid off.”

On Oct. 8, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation to officially change Armistice Day to Veterans Day, he noted.

Kulp said the American Legion spelled out its vision for the new national holiday: “Veterans Day, like the Armistice Day of before will ever remain a day of remembrance — remembrance for those who have placed their love of God, country, their devotion to liberty and freedom above even life itself.”

Kulp said there are many way to honor veterans for their sacrifices.

“The easiest way is to simply say, ‘Thank you for your service to our country,’” he said.

The parade also included classic cars and military vehicles, one of which represented the upcoming Wreaths Across America at the Sky-View Memorial Park.

The Tamaqua Fire Department was represented by all four fire companies, and fire personnel from Ryan Township, Mary-D, Tuscarora, Hometown and Quakake participated. The Tamaqua Ambulance and Tamaqua Police were in the parade, as was Tamaqua Mayor Nathan Gerace, Victory Fuel Oil, Tamaqua Elks, Andreas Boy Scouts and Tamaqua/Mahanoy City Masons.

The Tamaqua Fire Police directed traffic.