Barrington parade honors recent and World War II vets

What better homecoming could a soldier hope for than a starring role in his town's Fourth of July parade?

Shane Loughney, a 2005 graduate of Barrington High School, arrived back at Fort Hood, Texas, on Thursday from his deployment in Iraq.

But barely had his boots touched American soil than he was off on a four-day pass for Barrington's Fourth of July parade.

Loughney was one of eight active-duty military personnel to be honored on the parade float of We Do Care, a Barrington-based, soldier-support organization.

Another guest of honor was Purple Heart recipient Jermaine Strachan, who's been working to regain the use of his legs for the past two years at Walter Reed Hospital, after becoming the victim of an explosive in Iraq.

This is the second visit to Barrington We Do Care has held for Strachan, who's never had a homecoming in his own Florida town, volunteer Tammy Fitzgerald said.

Two of Fitzgerald's own children were on the float. Her son, Purple Heart-recipient Tres Fitzgerald, played electric guitar along with Rockford native Andy Hedlund on rhythm guitar and vocals. The pair played Jimi Hendrix songs and Tom Petty's, "I Won't Back Down."

Tammy Fitzgerald's daughter, Caitlin, stationed on the Navy's USS Enterprise, was also there along with Navy Diver Kevin Eppleman of Spooner, Wis.

Two additional Iraq veterans from Barrington, John Moran and Vicky Mundy, were also on the float.

Sharon and Doug Cash marched in the parade in honor of Sharon's son, Kevin Schmidt, who's in Iraq now.

We Do Care, founded by Barrington resident Dirk Beveridge, is the organizer of the village's Family Freedom Festival and 9.11-mile Freedom Run, which will mark the group's sixth anniversary Sept. 12.

The Fourth of July float was stationed just behind the Veterans of Foreign Wars, many of whose members were among the World War II vets honored as grand marshals.