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GLOVERSVILLE - A Veterans Day parade made its way down Main Street on Saturday, complete with marching bands, former U.S. military soldiers and children saluting their elders.

People lining the streets clapped as members of Gloversville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2077 fired three volleys along the parade route. Some were dressed in red, white and blue garb.

"It brings back some memories," said city resident Oscar Royce, who served in the Korean War. "They respect us more than they did then."

Royce saluted members of the Gloversville Police Department as they walked past.

Others said they were pleased to see the parade still exists. Parades sometimes come and go, they said, but this one remains vitally important.

"I think it's very nice," said Caroga Lake resident Bonnie Buchner, who was dressed in an American flag-decorated jacket and hat. "I'm glad to see it coming down Main Street. I think Main Street is the place for parades."

The parade route traveled from Eighth Avenue down North Main Street before making a right on East Fulton Street. It then made a right on Frontage Road and finished at City Hall.

Throughout the crowd, there were murmurs about the low turnout for the event. The streets were not lined with people, and some, such as Gloversville resident Sharisse Sparks, said they did not see enough clapping from those who attended.

"It's horrible," Sparks said. "There's no support, no respect for the people who made this country what it is."

Area fire departments drove their trucks down the streets for the parade. Various community organizations, such as the Boy and Girl Scouts, were in the parade mix, and members of the Gloversville Lions Club were the parade grand marshals.

A Veterans Day memorial service began soon after the parade ended on the lawn in front of City Hall.

Memorial service

"There is a place in history for our veterans," Gloversville Lions Club member Linda Walsh said as she spoke at the service. "And they never get the full appreciation they deserve."

During the service, the Gloversville High School marching band played taps and the Star-Spangled Banner. Members of the Boy and Girl Scouts laid a wreath to remember fallen soldiers, and the children who did so saluted to the wreath afterward.

"I would like to mention here, if it isn't already obvious, how important it is to bring the generations together at a moment like this," said Master of Ceremonies Chris Curro, who is the general manager of the Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market on Main Street.

The Rev. Terrence O'Neill gave the invocation at the ceremony.

He said Veterans Day began to honor World War II soldiers, but "sadly," he said, there have been many more wars since then.

"We find ourselves in conflict at home, and we remember the dead and the wounded at Fort Hood," O'Neill said, referring to the recent shootings at the military base in Texas. "Because of their service, we are here to gather today unmolested."

Those in attendance said the enjoyed the service, which happened on a relatively chilly day.

"They did a very good job," said Gloversville resident Anna Mae Yost. "They always do."

Zach Subar covers rural Fulton County news. He can be reached at ruralnews@leaderherald.com.