• Monday-What'sUP May 19 - 09:25 pm

On Saturday the towns of Houghton and Hancock hosted a Parade of Thanks, honoring our veterans and those servicemen and women presently serving our country. In case you weren't able to attend, E. Neil Harri has a few highlights from the air. Neil started with a wide angle view of the Hancock side of the parade route and then zoomed in on several spots for a better look in the other three photos. It looks like the fire trucks bringing up the rear of the parade as they're just coming off the bridge, in that second shot. The third photo shows the curve and the turn as the parade makes its way on to Quincy St. Then in the fourth picture you can see a band marching in front of the old D & N building, looking like a pack of ants in formation.

Our own Daryl Laitila kept both feet on the ground while taking her photos (see the second shot for an approximate location of her whereabouts). Daryl actually posted this link on Saturday for a slideshow of photos she took, but in case you missed it, just click here to Watch the Parade. Thanks Neil and Daryl for bringing the Parade of Thanks to the Pasty Cam.

Thanks for the great pics!

Great aerial pictures, Neil Harri! I don't think I've seen aerial pictures of a parade smaller than the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade or the Rose Bowl Parade, or something. Those are awesome. Thank you, both Neil & Mary! :-)

If you look really close you can see Edie and I waving, near the end of the red arrow in the second photo. We saw Daryl take many of the shots in her slideshow, and were wondering if there would be a fly-by. Looking up, we saw Neil's plane, instead of the Blue Angels. But then, they probably wouldn't have taken our picture.

Well, I started watching the parade, but it's too long. I'll have to finish it tonight.

When we were in the band at St. Joseph's, I remember marching in a parade that started at Gino's and ended somewhere in Houghton. It was cold and rainy, but we loved doing it anyway. I can't remember when that was or what we were celebrating. Maybe somebody else remembers? It would have been in the mid 60's.

Whoops, Charlie! An error in Cam Notes--Charles Lindbergh is not a native of Michigan. He was born in Little Falls, Minnesota.

Great photos Neil! You could start a new career covering all of the outdoor events in the UP. Maybe you should consider a blimp in the shape of a giant pasty.

The weather was good for the morning too so that was nice, wish I could have seen the parade.

Alex, you're a genius, Pasty Blimp would be great.

Whoops again, Charlie. You are right. My Columbia
Encyclopedia says Lindbergh was born in Detroit. His father, Charles Augustus-same name-, was born in Sweden and "brought as an infant to Minnesota." He, the father, served as a Minnesota congressman from 1907-1917. The younger Charles Lindbergh was born in 1902. Looks as though the family stopped a while in Michigan on their way to Minnesota. The Gophers sure have capitalized on the name. The Little Falls High School is called The Flyers, the Lindbergh home is a tourist visit, etc. etc. Sorry for my goof.

Great parade. It is nice to see the largest Armed Forces day parade in the state and maybe the nation here locally. It says a lot about the Copper Country.
I was in Hawaii a few years back and a guy was giving us skydivers a ride to altitude for a jump out of a 1929 Fleet biplane. Charles Lindbergh was the original owner. The pilot asked me if I wanted to fly it instead of jump because I was a pilot too. I got to do a few inside loops and barrel rolls over the ocean. He gave me a sheet of paper about the plane later. It said Ameilia A and Freddie Lund were among the people who had flown it.
Mr. Lindbergh is buried in Hana on the island of Maui.

"If any one of these groups--the British, the jewish, or the administration--stops agitating for war, I believe there will be little danger of our involvement." Charles Lindbergh, september 11, 1941...........

Lindbergh was an isolationist during the late '30's and during '40 and '41. To his credit, he assisted the Army Air Corps and the Navy in the Pacific. He went mainly as an instructor to teach pilots how to get the most out of a gallon of gas (something many need to know today). The Japanese Zero had an advantage over Allied aircraft in range and maneuverability. Lindbergh is among men like Bong, O'Hare, and Thatch who worked during the darkest months of 1942 to find ways to defeat the Japanese Imperial Navy and Army aircraft. Although his civilian status prevented official acknowledgment, Lindbergh was known to engage enemy aircraft while flying a P-38.

Great pictures Neil. I saw the plane flying over Hancock while I watched the parade. I showed them to my son who was marching with the high school band. He said it seemed like a longer march than you make it seem! What a great tribute to all the past and present military personnel. I have attended each of the Armed Forces parades and each time, my heart swells with pride for these men and women. Thank you!

The picures are great! I wish he had gone another couple of blocks to I could see Suomi College!