Dearborn Memorial Day Parade Set for May 27

The city of Dearborn’s annual Memorial Day Parade will take place at 10 a.m. on May 27.

Presented by the Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council (DAWVC) and the city, this year's parade will pay special tribute to prisoners of war, former prisoners of war and those whose fate is still undetermined, as well as their families.

“The issue of POWs has always been important to me,” said DAWVC Cmdr. Philip Smith, whose father was taken as a POW during World War II. “I want to make sure all our POWs are honored.”

Capt. Christopher Stone, a Michigan resident and former POW, will serve as a special marshal in the parade.

While serving during the Kosovo War in March 1999, Stone and his comrades were captured by Serbian forces near the Yugoslavia-Macedonia border. They were held as POWs for 32 days before their release and return to America.

Additionally, several members of a support group for former POWs from the Ann Arbor Veterans’ Hospital will take part in the parade and ceremony.

The parade will be led by U.S. Ambassador Charles A. Ray and U.S. Sen. Carl Levin. Both men have connections to POW/MIA issues.

Parade Route

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. May 27 and will feature more than 70 groups. The lineup will include bands from Dearborn’s four high schools and several middle schools, veterans groups from Dearborn and surrounding areas, local elected officials, multiple scout and community groups, and a tribute to veterans from Ford Motor Company. 

A flyover with historic aircraft will be part of the commemoration.

The parade route will begin on Michigan Avenue from Firestone Street (three blocks east of Greenfield) to Schaefer Avenue. Participants will pass in review at city hall before turning south on Schaefer to disband at John Nagy Drive.

Parking and Shuttle

There will be no shuttles going down Michigan Avenue. Free, limited, shuttle service is only available on the east side of Schaefer Avenue (south of Michigan Avenue). Shuttles will run from 8:45 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.

Parking is available south of Michigan Avenue at the Dearborn Town Center parking deck (located behind the Oakwood Hospital Midwest Health Center). There are two entrances into the parking deck: Osborn Street (East of Schaefer), or Calhoun Street (South of Michigan Avenue). 

Parking is available north of Michigan Avenue in front of the Dearborn Fresh Supermarket, 13661 Colson St., and behind Comerica Bank.

There is no parking allowed on Michigan Avenue from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Memorial Day and no shuttles will be available after the parade. 

Solemn remembrance ceremony

A remembrance service led by the DAWVC will follow the parade at noon in front of city hall, 13615 Michigan Ave., at the Dearborn War Memorial.

The ceremony will include music performed by the Divine Child High School Band, as well as a laying of the memorial wreath. Former POWs, as well as some of Dearborn’s oldest living veterans, will be honored.

The grand marshals will deliver keynote speeches, and Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. will offer remarks.

The public is invited to attend. Seating is provided.

Watch the parade live from home

The Memorial Day parade will be televised live on City of Dearborn Television, which is Comcast Channel 12 and WOW channel 10. It can also been seen on AT&T U-verse and at www.cityofdearborn.org.

To learn more about Dearborn’s Memorial Day parade, visit www.cityofdearborn.org/memorialdayparade.