MARION -- Not only were there more entries in this year's Veterans on Parade, but the people of Marion and surrounding communities turned out to show their support for veterans and first responders on the day that marked 20 years since 9/11.
With a mix of cars carrying veterans from World War II through the present, floats, marching bands, and a host of other entries, the parade wound its way from the vehicle staging area at Marion High School, to the Junior High School, and following Main Street east to the Williamson County Fairgrounds for a memorial service.
Ed Davis, co-founder and president of the Veterans on Parade, said this year's parade has extra special meaning in the wake of the loss of 13 armed service members in a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, last month.
A crowd of around 200 gathered in the grandstand as those names were read as well as the names of those lost in a helicopter accident last week near San Diego.
The ceremony also honored local Gold Star families.