The LeFlore County Parade Association is pleased to announce the 14th Annual Veterans Day Parade in Poteau, Saturday, November 6 at 10:00 AM .
Grand Marshalls will be Kyle Dennis and Michael Pope.
Grand Marshal Sgt Kyle Dennis – Active duty with the 2120th Engineers in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Sgt Dennis was born in Poteau, OK in 1998. After high school, he attended college at OSU in Okmulgee before enlisting in the army in 2017.
Sgt Dennis spent his first year in the military stationed on Sand Hill at Fort Benning, Georgia. He then went to Gulfport, Mississippi where he trained with the Naval Seabees.
Sgt Dennis is now stationed in Broken Arrow, OK with the 2120th engineers. Sgt Dennis has spent his entire career serving in one natural disaster to the next, most recently spending nearly two years on active duty assisting in the COVID 19 relief effort.
Sgt Dennis loves military tactics and training, and spends much of his time in the field volunteering to help teach other soldiers in unit tactic.
Sgt Dennis is an active member in several veteran suicide prevention groups. The flag he is holding is his friend’s who lost his war with depression and PTSD. Sgt Dennis also wears a memorial bracelet in honor of his friend.
Grand Marshal Michael Pope Member of DAV Post #63 and Spiro VFW Auxiliary
Joined the Air Force in November 1964 and became a T-38 Crew Chief and then Crew Chief instructor. He then transferred to the Air National Guard in 1972 and served as a part-time soldier until 1982.
He achieved rank of Staff Sergeant and then 2nd Lt, then 1st Lt. He served as the Aircraft Maintenance Officer on F-100 and F-4’s. He was called back to active duty in 1982 as Group Mobility Officer until 1995. Then served as Mobility Pilot Unit for both F4 and F16 Aircraft for all Air National Guard Units. He accepted a medical retirement in 1995.
He received 15 Air Force and Arkansas awards and decorations. He completed Air Command and Staff College. He completed “Best Ever” 12th Air Force Mobility portion of ORI in 1993. He is a life member of the DAV Post #63, Spiro VFW Auxiliary Post #4884 and the International Gideon’s. He and his wife, Rita, stay busy everyday with their six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, while serving the Lord.
What he wants most people to know is he is the son of a real hero—TSgt Jack B. Pope, a WWII B-17 Flight Engineer and top turret gunner. His father’s aircraft was shot down over Berlin and he was a German POW for 11 months. His father retired as a top level avionics supervisor.
With his own experience and his dad and two brothers experience on military aircrafts, they have over 120 years service.
The Parade will start at 10 am at Carl Albert State College
All walking groups and bands can line up at the Don Reynolds Center.
Any band that participates will receive a cash prize.
The parade will go down McKenna to Dewey Avenue in Historic Downtown Poteau.
Show your support for area veterans by either participating or attending this event.
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