The Mountain Times

Rutland’s 49th Annual Loyalty Day Parade marches on with pride

Loyalty Day is observed on May 1 every year. It is a special day for citizens to reaffirm their loyalty to the United States and recognize the American legacy of freedom; it is a tribute to the social and economic contributions of workers.  Loyalty Day is an official observance but not a federal holiday, so do not expect to get the day off work or school.

The holiday was first observed in 1921, then called "Americanization Day" it was intended to counterbalance the celebration of Labor Day on May Day (May 1), an international celebration commemorating the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago in 1886.

On that day, what started as a peaceful labor demonstration by workers demanding a standard eight hour workday quickly turned violent. When police attempted to disperse the crowd that had gathered in Haymarket Square in Chicago, a dynamite bomb was thrown. The explosion and gunfire that followed killed seven policemen, at least four civilians, and injured many more. In the internationally publicized trial that followed seven anarchists were convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to death despite the prosecution's concession that none of the accused had thrown the bomb.  Two of the men served life sentences in prison, one committed suicide and the other four were hanged.

May Day has since been an important day for left wing political movements, labor unions, anarchists and socialists in many countries worldwide. In the 1950s, communist Russia was flexing their military muscle by staging huge parades at Red Square in Moscow every May Day.  During the Cold War these celebrations were seen as attempts by the communists to spread their influence in the world.  The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States sought to create a holiday to show loyalty to the United States in the face of the communist threat.

The VFW had been attracting thousands of people to patriotic celebrations on May Day for years but it took almost ten years of lobbying to get the holiday recognized. President Dwight D. Eisenhower finally signed it into law in 1958.

In 1963, the Rutland chapter of the VFW decided that they wanted to bring a celebration to the city and embarked on creating a celebratory parade. At first the parades were small but they grew to sometimes included more than 100 groups marching making it the state's largest parade some years. There has been a parade every May for the past 49 years since its inception.

Chittenden Fire Department will be in the parade this year, with many fans cheering them on. CFD delivered over 120 truck loads of supplies to the towns of Pittsfield, Stockbridge, Killington, Mendon and Bridgewater and raised over $41,000 to help the people affected by Tropical Storm Irene.

Also marching will be the award winning Rutland Town school band, 100 students from grades five through eight will play an arrangement of patriotic songs. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin will be present along with Rutland Mayor Chris Louras and the City Aldermen. Veterans of Foreign Wars from all over the state will march as well as several other local school marching bands, fire departments, rescue squads and veterans associations.

The specter of communism has diminished slightly over the years but the Loyalty Day Parade in Rutland is a tradition worth keeping. Give thanks to our veterans and volunteers on Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m. in downtown Rutland.

Tagged: Loyalty Day Parade