The Carbon County Veterans Council announced the annual Veterans Day parade will be held on Sunday with a rain date of Nov. 16. This year’s parade is hosted by the American Legion Post 314 and will be held in Lehighton starting at 2 p.m.

Lehighton UVO Commander Kevin “Spike” Long invites all residents to line the parade route to recognize and salute the veterans who have proudly worn our nation’s uniform and those who continue to protect our freedoms today.

Honorees

This year the parade grand marshals will be the American Legion Post 314 members of the Korean War Last Man’s Club: Leroy P. Goldberg, Robert D. “Bobby” Berger, Mahlon “Skip” Shaffer, Eugene P. Mermon, Henry B. Bisbing, Lee A. Fatzinger and William Rehrig.

The parade marshal is Army Corp veteran Sue Snyder.

The parade honoree is Chester G. “Chet” Frantz.

He was born in Palmerton in September 1925 and had one brother and sister. He grew up in Summit Hill during the Great Depression.

Frantz graduated from Summit Hill High School in June 1943 and shortly afterward received his draft notice. He was inducted into the U.S. Army at Cumberland, Pennsylvania. He then entered basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia.

He was assigned to the 100th Infantry Division, 397 Infantry Regiment, 2nd Plt, HQ Co. His entry into WWII started with amphibious landing on a “duck” into Marseille, France, with a carbine as his weapon.

Frantz fought in the Colmar Pocket and Bitche, France. His regiment earned the nickname “Sons of Bitche” for capturing the town of Bitche. It was here that Frantz earned the Bronze Star Medal for assisting a medic in an open field to bring back wounded personnel during the night.

He then was at the Battle of the Bulge, where his division was holding a three-division line with just their division. One day Frantz had a close call when an artillery shell fired from the Germans exploded right above him while he was taking cover behind a tree. His helmet was blown off, but thankfully and by the Grace of God, he was unharmed.

When the war ended in Europe, Frantz was reassigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, 7th Regiment, as part of the occupation force.

Frantz returned home in 1946 and married his wife, and together they raised three children. He and his loving wife, Mildred “Mickey,” were married 67 years before her death.

Parade route

Parade participants are required to register, prior to arriving at their designated division, on Ninth and Coal Street, Lehighton.

After registration, participants should immediately go to their designated division and report to the division coordinator for proper staging. Lineups start forming at 11:30 a.m. All participants are asked to be in place by 1:30 p.m. The parade will start promptly at 2 p.m.

The parade will form between Sixth and Coal streets, proceeding east. It turns south onto Third Street and proceeds west down Iron Street.

The parade will disband at the Community Grove Recreation Center at Eighth and Iron streets.

Free American celebration flags will be handed out on the parade route by Christine LeClair, director of Carbon County Veterans Affairs.

The Parade Committee announces that at the beginning of the parade a patriotic flyover will be provided by Flying Colors Gender Reveal.

Divisions

Division One (Coal and Sixth Street, North Side): Lehighton Police Department, Chief of Police Troy Abelovsky; Lehighton United Veterans Organization Color Guard; Division One Banner Carriers; American Legion Post 314, Parade Grand Marshals, Korean Last Man’s Club; Lehighton UVO Parade Marshal, Sue Snyder; Lehighton UVO Parade Honoree, Chester C. Frantz; American Legion Post 314, Gary Beaver and Lehighton UVO Disabled Vets; Lehighton United Veterans Organization, Carl Haydt; Sons of the American Legion Squadron 314; Sons of the American Legion Squadron 314; Shoemaker-Haydt American Legion Auxiliary Unit 314; American Legion Post 314 Riders; Lehighton Area High School “Indian Pride” Marching Band; 30th District Commander of the Sons of the American Legion; Carbon County Director of Veterans Affairs Christine LeClaire; America250PA, Carbon County; Pyro Joe LLC; Dance with Kim; Girl Scout Troop 3802, Weissport; St. Luke’s Carbon Campus; Yenser’s Tree Farm; Borough of Lehighton Light & Power Department; Lehighton Ambulance; Victory Fuel Company; Mackay Pipe Band; Lehighton Fire Department, Marching Unit; Lehighton Fire Department; Mahoning Valley Ambulance Association; Mahoning Valley Volunteer Fire Co. No 1; Diamond Fire Company.

Division Two (Coal and 7th Street): American Legion Post 123, Lansford; Division Two Banner Carriers; Panther Valley High School JROTC; Panther Valley High School Marching Band; American Legion Post 123, Commander Nate Krajcirik and Adjutant Richard Pogwist; Vietnam Veterans Organization of Carbon County, Commander Rudy Balas; Navy Club of Carbon County USS Ship 260, USS Carbon County; VFW Memorial Post 8008 Honor Guard, Nesquehoning; VFW Memorial Post 8008 Auxiliary; VFW Memorial Post 8008 Poppy Court; Louis E. Dieruff High School Husky Marching Band; USVV1 Pocono Base Submarine Veterans; Knights of Columbus of the Panther Valley 17300; Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania Service Unit 309; Priority One Real Estate Team; Lansford Alive! Angela Nardini; Jukebox Cruisers; 1989 Mack R Model; America Legion Post 170, Coaldale; American Fire Company No. 1, Lansford; Diligence Fire Company No. 1, Summit Hill; Coaldale Volunteer Fire Company No. 1; New Columbus Fire Company.

Division Three (Coal and Eighth Street): American Legion Post 269 Color Guard, Palmerton; Division Three Banner Carriers; Palmerton Area High School Blue Bomber Marching Band; Palmerton American Legion Post 269 Commander Ed Moyer and Adjutant Victor Jachelka; Palmerton VFW Post 7134, Commander Carl Ellis; Palmerton American Legion Post 269 and Post 7134 Members; Palmerton American Legion Post 269 Miss Poppy and Mascot; Palmerton Legion Post 269, Joe Plechavy III, WW2 Jeep; Palmerton American Legion Post 269 — USMC Van Ed Baranski, FVC Joe Uhnak and Members; Mack Truck, Steve Yuhas; Schuylkill-Carbon Marine Corps League; Tolan Kunkle; Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, Palmerton Service Unit; Troop 209 — Cub Pack 209 & BSA; Boomers Car Club NEPA; Valor Clinic Foundation (VALOR); The Allentown Hobo “Almost” Marching Band; Vlossak HVAC; Palmerton Fire Department; Aquashicola Volunteer Fire Company; Bowmanstown Volunteer Fire Company; Parryville Volunteer Fire Company No. 2.

Division Four (South Side of Seventh Street): American Legion Post 304, Jim Thorpe; Division Four Banner Carriers; American Legion Post 304, Bill Diehm; Sons of the American Legion Squadron 304; Jim Thorpe Area Olympian Marching Band; Jim Thorpe Neighborhood Bank; Carbon County Sheriff’s Office; state Rep. Doyle Heffley; Carbon County Commissioners; Donna Gentile, Carbon County Recorder of Deeds; Carbon County Republican Committee; Carbon County Veterans Treatment Court; Carbon County Fair; Weatherly Area High School Band; Carbon County Democratic Party; Jim Thorpe Municipal Fire Department; East Penn Township Volunteer Fire Company; Forks of the Delaware Tin Lizzies.