Dearborn Parade Honors POW/MIA Veterans
DEARBORN (WWJ) - A big crowd as always for the Dearborn Memorial Day parade, one of the biggest such parades in the state. This year's parade had three Grand Marshalls, including former U.S. Ambassador Charles Ray, who served in the Army.
"This is like being transported back in time," said Ambassador Ray. "You know you don't have too many places like this left where people actually line the streets for a parade anymore - it's like being taken back to my childhood, and I don't want to say how many years that's been.
It's super fantastic to be invited to be a part of this, I feel honored beyond words."
Ray was the deputy assistant secretary for missing personnel affairs.
Christopher Stone was also part of the Memorial parade, Stone, from Michigan, was taken prisoner of war in Kosvo in 1999.
"It was something that I wasn't prepared for but what helped me get through that experience was the support from the community especially here in Michigan - which is part of the reason I left the active military and came home to serve in the Michigan National Guard."
Stone said he's been with the National Guard for the past 12 years and wanted to give back to the communities which supported him so strongly when he came home from the service.
He told WWJ's Ron Dewey that thanking our troops is something that should be done more than just one day out of the year.
This year's parade focused on prisoners of war.
