Master Chief Petty Officer Jon Koenig hasn’t seen many homecoming parades since he returned last year from his latest deployment to Iraq.
He wanted to find a way to honor fellow veterans, and he thought July Fourth would be a pretty good day to do it.
Veterans and their families are invited to participate in the annual An Edmonds Kind of Fourth festivities.
“People in the civilian world can’t really understand what we are going through, but they want to show their appreciation,” Koenig said.
“If we don’t let them do that, we are denying them the opportunity to thank veterans.”
Koenig, 58, of Edmonds, is a U.S. Navy reservist who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan working on construction projects in war zones. He wanted veterans and their families to feel appreciated and engaged with their communities.
He reached out to the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce and got the local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters on board.
The event is focused on the military members who’ve served in the campaigns of the past 10 years, but all veterans are welcome.
Koenig and the organizations he’s working with are hoping to get about 200 veterans to take part in the celebration.
Special events are planned throughout the day. Veterans will march at the head of the parade, which starts at noon. A barbecue for military families is planned from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Edmonds City Park on Third Avenue South, serving all-you-can-eat hamburgers and hot dogs.
Many local businesses also plan to offer discounts and promotions for service members.
Special seats for veterans and their families also will be reserved for the evening concert and fireworks show.
And just before the show, military members will be introduced to all the visitors.
“It’s going to be a fun day, and it’s going to be all about veterans,” Koenig said.
Veterans are invited
To register for the event, contact Jon Koenig at masterchiefkoenig@gmail.com or at 425-232-6244. Submit your rating, rank and name, branch of service, unit, when and where you served, and the number of family members who will be attending with you. More info: http://tinyurl.com/EdmondsFourth.
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