Thousands Turn Out For Memorial Day Parade In Doylestown
By Brad Segall
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- It's the oldest Memorial Day parade in the country and it's right here in the Philadelphia region.
The Doylestown parade dates back nearly 150 years and it seems like the entire Central Bucks County community comes out for this one. They started lining the streets more than an hour before the parade started, waiting for the marching bands and floats, but not losing sight of the real meaning of the day.
"I think I have a duty as an American to honor those Americans that fought and died for our freedom," said Stephen Howe, who made the trip from Plumsteadville.
Aaron from Doylestown grew up here. He never came to the parade as a kid, but brings his kids now.
"This is one of the things that makes this really excited throughout the year," he says. To come out here with all these people from the town, it's really a great event, the kids love it, watching the firetrucks which just drove by. They love looking at the fire trucks."
This was also an emotional day for many who got their first look at Bucks County's new Global War on Terrorism memorial that sits in the courtyard of the courthouse. This area has suffered a number of losses of American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq and the 9/11 attacks.