Military honored at St. Charles Electric Christmas Parade

St. Charles celebrated the arrival of the holiday season Saturday with its traditional Electric Christmas Parade which included more than 70 twinkling floats.

Despite stepping off after dusk, participants and special guests rode down Main Street on floats, in cars and in horse-drawn carriages in weather that was more comfortable than blustery conditions endured during the St. Charles St. Patrick's Day Parade last March.

For the first time, the Christmas parade honored members of the military. A group of about 30 that included veterans as well as those serving rode on a special float.

On that float, six decades of military service were represented.

St. Charles residents Kevin McNicholas, 85, a World War II veteran, and Tyler Jones, 20, on leave from the Army for Thanksgiving, represented both ends of the spectrum. Jones is stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y., but will leave for Afghanistan in January.

Several Vietnam-era veterans were also present, including Phil Zavitz of St. Charles, who just turned 70.

"I've been carrying the flag for the last 35 years in any kind of parade," Zavitz said. "It's just something I'm obligated to do."

Tom Dwyer of St. Charles, 24, is in the National Guard and returned from Iraq in May.

"The war's been going on for a while," Dwyer said. "It's about time that veterans were invited to ride in the parade."

A.J. Karpy, who is from Addison but lives out of state, was asked to participate by his sister, a St. Charles resident. Karpy is a veteran who left the Army in 2006.

"Being asked to be in the parade is a really great thing because it can help raise awareness of the military," Karpy said. "I want young people to understand how necessary it is and what it's like. I'd like them to see that every community has veterans who have paid a heavy cost for our freedom."