All veterans invited to Arlington Heights parade

The Arlington Heights Memorial Day Parade is inviting all veterans, including those who serving in the most recent conflicts in the Middle East, to march in the 2013 parade for the first time.

In 2012, all Vietnam veterans were invited to march in the parade, and this year organizers are extending the invitation to all veterans who have served in the past 25 years, said Greg Padovani, chairman of the Veterans Memorial Committee in Arlington Heights.

This includes any veteran or active duty service member who served during Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf, Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, Operation Deliberate Forces in Bosnia, Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

The invitation is extended to veterans living anywhere, not just Arlington Heights residents, Padovani said.

Veterans who wish to participate should arrive at the assembly area along Sigwalt and Davis streets in front of Arlington Heights village hall at 9 a.m. Monday, May 27.

The parade begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at Veterans Memorial Park at Chestnut and Fremont streets, where the Memorial Day Ceremony will begin.