VFW presents Loyalty Day

OSBURN — Show your loyalty to your country on April 30, as the VFW hosts the annual Loyalty Day Parade.

Shoshone VFW Post 1675 has strived to continue the tradition of Loyalty Day alive and well in the Silver Valley by consistently growing the parade in hopes of restoring it to the glory days of years past.

Loyalty Day quite literally has a colorful past as it was created in an effort to unify Americans during the Second Red Scare.

Loyalty Day originally began as "Americanization Day" in 1921 as a counter to the Communists' May 1, celebration of the Russian Revolution.

On May 1, 1930, 10,000 VFW members staged a rally at New York's Union Square to promote patriotism. Through a resolution adopted in 1949, May 1, evolved into Loyalty Day.

Loyalty Day observances officially began in 1950 and in 1958, Congress enacted Public Law 529 proclaiming Loyalty Day a permanent fixture on the nation's calendar.

“The local VFWs are supposed to be the ones putting it on and I think we’re one of the only groups who actually do it,” said 1675 Post Commander Chris Marker. “We want everyone to be able to get out and really feel like they’re an American. It’s all about community support and standing together — even if we disagree on some things.”

Loyalty Day 2022 will once again feature the ever-popular parade followed by a barbecue at the finish line.

Anyone who would like to participate should assemble at Silver Hills Elementary School at 11 a.m. on Saturday and prep for the parade — which kicks off at noon.

“We had a good parade last year,” Marker said. “This year, we would like to make it even better.”

This is just one of the many events that the local Veterans of Foreign Wars organization puts on annually — but with dwindling numbers of members, many of whom are moving into octogenarian status, the post may soon have to fold if more people don’t join.

“We have plenty of veterans who live in the Valley and aren’t members,” Marker said. “We need them to join. The commitment isn’t much, but it would be a tremendous loss to the county if we didn’t have a VFW.”

The local VFW is also integral to both the Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day celebrations that happen every year, they organize mobile clinics for older veterans who may not be able to get to Spokane, add these events to all of the smaller weekly events that give locals something to look forward to — things like breakfasts and bingo to name a few.

The VFW Loyalty Day Parade is Saturday, April 30 at noon.

For more information, please visit the Shoshone VFW Post 1675 Facebook page.