LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Communities from across the Kansas City area took time on Monday to honor veterans.
One of the longest-running Veterans Day parades west of the Mississippi is in Leavenworth, Kansas.
Complete with bands, floats, and plenty of American flags, close to 250 entries paraded down Delaware Street in downtown Leavenworth for the annual parade.
"It makes me feel good; it makes me proud that I served my country," Chayne Simpson said. "That people feel it is actually something to commend, I feel like I actually did something good with my life."
Simpson is an Air Force veteran who grew up in the Leavenworth area. He joined the military right out of high school.
Each year, he attends the parade with his family. He said standing on crowded streets gives him a sense of gratitude.
"Without that, if it was all empty here, it would feel like nobody really cared — but I care," Simpson said.
For more than an hour, Simpson held his son on his shoulders. He constantly pointed out trucks and encouraged him to wave.
The element of the parade that got the biggest reaction out of his son was up above. He looked in awe as planes passed overhead.
"It feels very personal. He could like something else, like tanks or something that I didn’t deal with," Simpson said. "But he chose, of all things, to like airplanes. Nothing's a coincidence. Everything happens for a reason."
Simpson’s father was also in the military. He served in the Marine Corps.
—
KSHB 41 reporter Abby Dodge covers consumer issues, personal budgeting and everyday spending. Share your story idea with Abby.
