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It was a day of history and memories for visitors to Stella as they celebrated veterans and the town itself.
Stellabration opened with a flag raising and concert with the 135th U.S. Army Band.
“The Army band concert was one of the best things that ever happened in Stella,” said Chuck Dalbom, chairman of the Veterans’ Memorial committee.
Their morning performance was a highlight and their participation was not lost on area veterans.
“This was better than most cities,” Bill Coberly, of the Longview area, said of the parade.
A veteran of World War II, Coberly spent 14 months in the European theater as part of the 9th Armored Division.
The only way it could have been better, he said, was if he could be wearing his long-lost uniform.
To Coberly, Veterans’ Day and the victory in WWII, show more than patriotism.
“It shows that people can do a lot of things if they’ll just stick together,” Coberly said.
The day was filled with activities. There was a Little Miss and Mr. Stella contest and the East Newton High School Chorus sang. It was opening day for a new business in town, the Lentz-Carter Café, busy since early morning. Festival-goers wandered through tables of crafts and baked goods, toured Stella’s murals and a display of quilts and walked the Veterans’ Memorial looking for their relative’s name.
Every brick has a story and so far, the memorial has placed some 800 veteran’s bricks. They’ve been told that theirs is one of the best veterans’ parades in the area. When they dedicated the memorial during last year’s Stellabration, general turnout was a little higher, but for the parade the quality and number of entries increased this year.
Lyle Sparkman, assistant superintendent of East Newton R-6 Schools, member of American Legion Post 163 and the Stella Veterans’ Memorial Committee, was pleased with this year’s Stellabration parade.
“I think that it was excellent,” Sparkman said. “Turnout was high.”
Dalbom was sitting next to a Vietnam vet during the parade. When a choral group from Triway Elementary came by singing patriotic songs the veteran was touched.
“He turned around and said ‘This is what the American soldier is fighting for,’” Dalbom said.
It was a day of history and memories for visitors to Stella as they celebrated veterans and the town itself.
Stellabration opened with a flag raising and concert with the 135th U.S. Army Band.
“The Army band concert was one of the best things that ever happened in Stella,” said Chuck Dalbom, chairman of the Veterans’ Memorial committee.
Their morning performance was a highlight and their participation was not lost on area veterans.
“This was better than most cities,” Bill Coberly, of the Longview area, said of the parade.
A veteran of World War II, Coberly spent 14 months in the European theater as part of the 9th Armored Division.
The only way it could have been better, he said, was if he could be wearing his long-lost uniform.
To Coberly, Veterans’ Day and the victory in WWII, show more than patriotism.
“It shows that people can do a lot of things if they’ll just stick together,” Coberly said.
The day was filled with activities. There was a Little Miss and Mr. Stella contest and the East Newton High School Chorus sang. It was opening day for a new business in town, the Lentz-Carter Café, busy since early morning. Festival-goers wandered through tables of crafts and baked goods, toured Stella’s murals and a display of quilts and walked the Veterans’ Memorial looking for their relative’s name.
Every brick has a story and so far, the memorial has placed some 800 veteran’s bricks. They’ve been told that theirs is one of the best veterans’ parades in the area. When they dedicated the memorial during last year’s Stellabration, general turnout was a little higher, but for the parade the quality and number of entries increased this year.
Lyle Sparkman, assistant superintendent of East Newton R-6 Schools, member of American Legion Post 163 and the Stella Veterans’ Memorial Committee, was pleased with this year’s Stellabration parade.
“I think that it was excellent,” Sparkman said. “Turnout was high.”
Dalbom was sitting next to a Vietnam vet during the parade. When a choral group from Triway Elementary came by singing patriotic songs the veteran was touched.
“He turned around and said ‘This is what the American soldier is fighting for,’” Dalbom said.
