Tamaqua’s 146th Annual 2014 Memorial Day Parade will be held Monday, May 26, 2014 at 10 AM. Steve Daderko, 88, of Tamaqua has been named Grand Marshal of the parade, while Michael McGinley of Andreas will serve as the keynote speaker for the Memorial Day service. The service, held at the Soldiers’ Circle in Odd Fellow’s Cemetery, will follow the parade. The color guard of Tamaqua American Legion C.H. Berry Post 173 and Panther Valley J.R.O.T.C. will render honors.
The parade will form in the last block of East Broad Street in the area of the former CVS and Maff Motors. Participants are asked to be there no later than 9:45 AM and upon arrival, should check in with one of the parade coordinators to find their designated location in the line-up.
The brief service at the cemetery will include the reading of the names of those Tamaqua area veterans who passed away since the previous Memorial Day. The service also includes patriotic selections by the high school band and a balloon release in memory of departed veterans. Participants will include The Rev. John Frink of St. Jerome Catholic Church, Tamaqua, Grand Marshal Steve Daderko, Poppy Queen Courtney Kovatch, BPW Young Woman of the Year Emily Ward, Schuylkill County Dairy Princess Hannah Miller, members of the Tamaqua American Legion C.H. Berry Post 173, Tamaqua Area Raider Marching Band, Tamaqua Area High School Student Council, and guest speaker Michael McGinley.
A Tamaqua native, McKinley is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and was a Security Specialist with the 834th Security Police Squadron, 1st Special Operations Wing in Hurlburt Field, FL from 1987 to 1990. During his enlistment, he served in the Panama Canal Zone prior to Operation Just Cause. After being honorably discharged, McKinley graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and is a real estate agent for Hugh Dugan Real Estate in Tamaqua. He is married to Dr. Kathryn Kropp, VMD and has a son, Peter. The couple lives in Andreas.
The Poppy Queen will be 13-year old Courtney Kovatch, daughter of Joseph and Angie Kovatch of Nesquehoning. She is the granddaughter of Joseph and Florence Kovatch and Eugene and Margaret Perla. Courtney attends 7th grade at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Lehighton and is a junior auxiliary member of the American Legion, a Girl Scout Cadet of Troop 34096, Nesquehoning, and a member of 4-H in Mahoning Valley.
Tamaqua BPW’s Young Woman of the Year, Emily Ward, is the daughter of Thomas and Ruth Ward of Tamaqua. She is a senior at Tamaqua Area High School and will be attending Philadelphia University in the fall for fashion merchandising and management. Emily is a member of the National Honor Society, the French National Honor Society, and a recent winner of both the Elks Award and the Fisher Memorial Award.
Also participating the in parade this year is Hannah Miller, Schuylkill County’s Dairy Princess. Hannah is the daughter of Russel and Christine Miller of Tamaqua. She is in her second year at LCCC’s nursing program, works at the Tamaqua Public Library, and belongs to the West Penn 4H Club.
The parade’s Grand Marshal, Steve Daderko, enlisted in the US Navy on June 19, 1944. Steve completed boot camp in Sampson, NY, and was sent to amphibious training in Coronado, CA. He was assigned to the newly commissioned USS Navarro (APA-215) troop transport. On the Navarro, he was assigned to deck division, and was part of a three person crew that operated Higgins type landing crafts to shuttle troops and supplies from the ship to the beach. During his time on-board, the Navarro participated in the invasion of Okinawa, transport of B-29 ground crews from Seattle to Guam, and various other support operations. After Japan surrendered, the Navarro transported occupation troops from the Philippines to Japan and participated in Operation Magic Carpet, returning US troops from the various Pacific islands to the United States. During his time on the Navarro, Steve trained and qualified as a Carpenters Mate Third Class. He was discharged in December of 1946. Steve was married to Eleanor Dalto who passed away in 2002, and the couple had three sons: Stephen of Lake Hauto, Gregory of Overland Park, Kansas, and James of Tamaqua.
The parade will be held rain or shine. In the event of rain, however, the Memorial Day service will be held at the Tamaqua Community Center at 125 Pine Street, Tamaqua. If the service is relocated to the community center, the announcement will be made as early as possible on TamaquaArea.com and Facebook pages of the Zizelmann-Roche Funeral Home, the American Legion C.H. Berry, Post 173, and the American Legion Honor Guard. The announcement will also be made on WMGH.
Any organizations interested in joining the parade can do so by contacting Art Connely as soon as possible at (570) 668-5370.