Taylorsville’s 2015 Veterans Day Parade and Program

By Jessica Thompson  

Taylorsville - Taylorsville City has been finding ways to help families show respect for the veterans within the community since 2008. What greater way to show gratitude for the veterans throughout Utah than through a parade and celebration in their honor?

In 2008, former mayor Russ Wall announced that the City of Taylorsville would begin commemorating Veterans Day each year with a community Veterans Day program at City Hall. Then in 2010, Taylorsville was selected to be the host of Utah’s Veterans Day Parade, which is co-sponsored by the United Veterans Council of Greater Salt Lake City and County. 

“Taylorsville is a community that rallies around its veterans. Almost every family has a veteran. The goal is to honor them and let them know we appreciate their sacrifices,” Tiffany Janzen, Taylorsville’s public information officer, said.

This year’s Veterans Day Parade begins at 11 a.m. at the Taylorsville Recreation Center and ends at the Taylorsville City Hall. The theme for the parade is, “Honoring Combat Veterans.” Last year’s Veterans Day Parade had 45 -50 parade entries, and parade organizers are expecting that many entries this year. 

The celebration continues with a program following the parade at 12:15 p.m. The program includes a flag ceremony by Taylorsville High School’s Jr. ROTC, the National Anthem by Matthew Boeckmann and a patriotic medley by Vista Elementary’s second grade class. Congressman Chris Stewart will be the program’s keynote speaker, and introductions of grand marshals Dennis Chomech and Roy Feragen will be made at the end of the program. 

“We are humbled and honored to have the opportunity to host the Veterans Day Parade and program,” Taylorsville Mayor Larry Johnson said. 

There are also areas around Taylorsville City Hall where families can learn more about Utah’s veterans. One area is the Flags of Honor, which is a memorial to fallen soldiers from Utah who lost their lives in recent wars. A flag representing each fallen solder and their information is part of the memorial set up on the south side of Taylorsville City Hall. Also, inside City Hall, the largest World War II collection in Utah will be on display for families to learn more about the soldiers they are honoring on Veterans Day. 

Chip Henneman, owner of the World War II collection, first became interested in WWII memorabilia at the age of five and has been collecting items for the past 30 years.

 “Attending the parade and program is a great way for parents to teach their children to pay respect to all our fellow veterans, both past and present,” Janzen said.

The City of Taylorsville Veterans Day committee sponsors an annual poster contest for children in first through fourth grades, and an essay contest for fifth through eighth grades. These contests are open to all students in the Salt Lake Valley, whether in public, private, charter or home schools. The first-place essay winner will have the chance to read their essay at the Veterans Day program.

 “We hope the students will become more aware of the sacrifices and the dedication to freedoms that have been shown by our veterans who have served in combat,” Janzen said. “It is important to celebrate and honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.”