VFP To Welcome Home Returning Iraq Veterans

June 26, 2012

The New Hampshire "Welcome Home" End of Iraq War Parade is only two weeks away! VFP Chapters 62 and 9, out of Auburn, NH and Boston, MA will welcome home veterans on July 8th, 2012 in solidarity with local community groups. The parade is a rain or shine event and will focus on welcoming our brothers back with a variety of activities, including a job fair for returning vets.

The events on Sunday, July 8, are expected to go as follows:

Parade formation:

• At 1:00, everyone who is marching in the parade will be forming up at the South Mill Pond Parking Lot. The South Mill Pond Parking Lot is adjacent to the tennis courts and across from the City Hall, which is located at 1 Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801.
• The South Mill Pond Parking Lot will be closed to parking. Parking is extremely limited downtown and all should plan accordingly.
• If you are part of an organization that plans on marching, you must complete the attached Entry Form and submit it by June 30.
• Norm Leon is the Parade Coordinator and if you submitted an Entry Form he should contact you regarding the marching order.
• If members in your organization are unable to march and they do not have a vehicle to ride in, contact me to see if arrangements can be made.
• All vehicles in the parade require proof of insurance and no floats are allowed.

The parade itself:

• At 2:00, we will step off and march the following 1.3 mile route downtown. We will proceed down Junkins Ave, make a left onto Pleasant St, a right onto State St, a left on Wright Ave, a left on Daniels St, proceed through Market Square on Congress St, a left on Fleet St, a left on State St, a right back on Pleasant St, a right on Junkins Ave and the proceed back to the South Mill Pond Parking Lot.
• An PDF of the parade route is attached.
• All organizations are expected to have some sort of banner announcing who you are.
• The loading zone in front of Popovers will be blocked off with saw horses for veterans that are unable to march and would like a front row seat.Everyone is responsible for bringing their own chairs.
• Although politicians may be attending the event, there is to be no active campaigning.It is alright if an individual wears a campaign sticker, button or t-shirt on their person, but official campaign signs are not to be carried in the parade.

The National Anthem and remarks by Governor John Lynch:

• As stated in the previous update, Governor John Lynch is expected to co-grand marshal the parade with several Gold Star Families.
• When the entire parade has returned to the South Mill Pond Parking Lot, everyone is invited to go to the Lower Parking Lots at City Hall.
• The national anthem will be sung by Ms. Strafford County, Caroline Carter, I will make some brief remarks and then introduce Governor Lynch.

The jobs and services fair:

• Immediately after the remarks the jobs and services fair will begin.
• Representatives from the Department of Veteran Affairs and the New Hampshire Employment Security will be joined by businesses looking to hire veterans.
• The Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce has sent the Jobs Fair attachment to generate interest to participate in the jobs fair.Contact me if you are a business interested in participating.
• The jobs fair is being opened up to all service organizations that are interested in participating.If you are a service organization interested in participating contact me.
• All jobs fair participants are required to bring their own table and chairs.EZ-up canopies or their equivalents are allowed as long as they do not have sides.
• One of the Lower Level Parking Lots will be used for the jobs fair and the other will serve as parking for only those setting up tables at the jobs fair. Again, parking is extremely limited and all should plan accordingly.