Pride was soaring high in the sky on Memorial Day as crowds braved the heat for Sterling Heights’ 44th annual Memorial Day Parade. The event began at 9:00 a.m. in the city’s Marco Andragna Veterans Memorial Garden, between City Hall and the Police Department.

[Related: See the "Scenes from this year's Sterling Heights' 44th Annual Memorial Day Parade" photo essay on Metromode.]

The event was emceed by Art Commission Chair Jeanne Schbath-Lewis and included Mayor Michael C. Taylor, members of City Council, Judge Stephen S. Sierwaski, state Senator Michael Webber, and Congressman John James. The Grand Marshal for the parade was the vice president of Tuskegee Airmen National Museum and U.S. Army Veteran, Larry D. Sargent. 

The Motor City Blend Chorus performed The Motor City Blend Chorus performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” while additional musical fare was provided by the 1st Michigan Colonial Fife and Drum Corps. The lowering of the flag and pledge of allegiance was conducted by The Boy Scouts of America Troop 80.

After Fire Department Chaplain Ray Ahonen provided the invocation, Mayor Taylor took to the podium.

“Today we honor the men and women of our military. It’s easy to take that for granted. Here we are, free to do what we want, free to be who we want to be, free to live our lives because of the brave, because of the men and women who made that choice knowing what they might ultimately give. Let us not forget that, today or any other day.”

Mayor Michael C. Taylor (right) and the laying of the wreaths.

The city dedicated a temporary memorial in honor of longtime Sterling Heights resident and U.S. Air Force Veteran Dennis Koski. 

“If you knew Dennis Koski, you knew he was a man of service, he was a man of community, a man of faith, one of the best people you could meet because of what he did for his country and for what he did for his community,” Mayor Taylor said.  

Sterling Heights Fire Department Chaplain Ray Ahonen provided the invocation.The theme of service continued through the event as Congressman James, a veteran himself, spoke to the crowd.

“I would like to, first, thank you all for being here. In particular, those who brought children to bear witness to what America is all about. We’re here to honor the sacrifice of those who came before us and the most important people who can see this are children.”

James shared his own story and how he lost a fellow soldier, his roommate at West Point, to suicide. 

“Talk to any veteran and the chances are that they have a similar story of a buddy they lost. Increasingly, it seems that the buddy they lost has been [happening more] after they come home from overseas.” 

Sargent was the next to speak. He shared some history on the 332nd Fighter Group better known as the Tuskegee Airmen. This group of exclusive Black pilots fought in WWII and flew over 1500 combat missions. 

“In 1945, there was a myth that Black men couldn’t fly. The Tuskegee Airmen [changed] it. They were the best of the crop. The standards were set so high that any pilot who made it through had to be the best. Just to apply, if you were Black, you had to have had a four-year college degree,” Sargent said. This is reflected in the high number of successful bomber escort missions credited to the unit.

“They gave the ultimate sacrifice too. We lost 66 Tuskegee Airmen in action,” Sargent said as he recounted that one of those men was his own cousin, Leonard Wiggins.

At 9:30 a.m., four authentic Tuskegee Airmen WWII planes cut across the sky and made three passes in different formations. In the sky was Dr. Brian Smith, president of the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum. The flyover was made possible by the contributions of BAE Systems and the Defense Corridor Center for Collaboration and Synergy (DC3S), both located in Sterling Heights.

At 9:30 a.m., four authentic Tusekgee Airmen WWII planes cut across the sky and made three passes in different formations.

Following the laying of wreaths, the event ended with the Motor City Blend Chorus’ rendition of “God Bless America” as the planes soared one last time over the crowd and announced the start of the parade.

Sargent led the parade in a red custom 2011 Ford Mustang convertible called the RedTail, in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen P-51 red-tailed fighter planes. 

The parade started at Utica Road and marched south down Dodge Park till its end at Junior Heritage High School near 16 Mile.
Music and candy filled the air as residents crowded around the parade with big smiles and cheers. Family and residents weathered the heat as they watched a procession that included the city’s police and fire department, The Chandler Park marching band, the Shannon Irish Dance Academy, Crevolution robotics team, representatives from Sterling Heights’ diverse ethnic communities, and many more.