A unique family of military veterans will proudly lead the 47th annual Commerce City Memorial Day parade this year. The family boasting four generations of military service includes Donal Koogle, Orval Lewis, Ron Lewis and Andrew Lewis.“I am honored,” Orval said, who is a veteran from the Korean conflict. “I was very surprised to find out it was going to be us this year. I know that Donal is so excited and honored to be a part of this year’s parade.”
The state’s largest Memorial Day parade begins at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 30 at the intersection of 64th Avenue and Olive Street. The two-mile parade route ends in front of Veterans Memorial Park, located near Forest Street and Parkway Drive. The parade itself stretches more than four miles, with 150 entries ranging from military units to bands, floats and a variety of organizations joining together to honor veterans under the parade’s theme “Remember the Sacrifice.”
Donal Koogle, is the uncle of Orval’s wife Jeanette Lewis. Donal is a WWII veteran and fought at Okinawa, an 82-daylong battle in the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War. His son is flying down from Alaska to see him march as grand marshal in this year’s parade.
This isn’t the first time the Lewis family has been involved in the Commerce City Memorial Day Parade.
“I was raised in Commerce City, so I’ve played in the band in the parade quite a bit,” said Navy veteran Ron Lewis, Orval’s son. “A lot of the time we were behind the horses, which wasn’t too fun. I’m looking forward to being in the front this year!”
Ron served as a diver and spent time on the U.S.S. Tunney from 1979 until 1982. For him, Memorial Day is about embracing the bond between service members and remembering those who have served.
“It’s a day we all get to honor those who are serving and who have served I think it’s a well-deserved holiday,” Ron said. “This is the first time I’ve had this type of an honor bestowed on me. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Andrew Lewis, Ron’s son, was deployed to Iraq with the 101st Army Airborne division. He served two tours; one in Mosul, and one tour in Baghdad. Andrew is a disabled veteran, having lost some of his hearing after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded nearby when.
Regardless of branch, the Lewis family said they feel camaraderie with all members of the Armed Forces.
“A bond always exists, regardless of the branch,” Ron said. “You always get this camaraderie with the people in your unit and in the Armed Forces – it doesn’t matter what branch you were in or how many years you served, there is always a bond between service members.”
Emmy-winning anchor Jim Bennemann will emcee the parade for the eighth time. He will preside over a brief ceremony honoring veterans at the city’s memorial prior to the beginning of the parade.
