Monessen veterans react to parade exclusion

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

Leaders of veterans’ organizations in Monessen are speaking out after losing their chance to host the annual Mon Valley Veterans Parade.

Monessen learned earlier this month in a letter from county commissioners on behalf of the newly formed Washington County Veterans Council — formerly the Mon Valley Veterans Council — that the parade the city was planning to host in November will now be held in Monongahela.

The letter, addressed to Monessen Mayor Matt Shorraw, said the parade will be exclusively in Washington County starting this year. Leaders of the American Legion, VFW and Veterans Council in Monessen weren’t directly informed.

Ron Chromulak, Commander of VFW Post 1190, said plans were under way when organizers read in the Mon Valley Independent that they would no longer be hosting.

“In January, Monessen already had this parade well into motion,” Chromulak said. “We had a chairman and a committee formed. When we read that in the paper, it was totally a surprise to us.

“It was like someone pulled the rug out right from under us.”

To read the rest of this story, please see a copy of Wednesday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at https://e.monvalleyindependent.com.