Jessica Lynch Forums: Spc Johnson Lead Holiday Parade - Jessica Lynch Forums

Jump to content

Page 1 of 1
  • You cannot start a new topic
  • You cannot reply to this topic

Spc Johnson Lead Holiday Parade

#1 User is offline   jessefan 

  • Advanced Member
  • PipPipPip
  • Group: Advanced Members
  • Posts: 1,101
  • Joined: 19-August 03

Posted 13 December 2003 - 02:42 AM

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/con...2721dc00c5.html

Ex-POW leads holiday parade


By Kimberly Miller, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer



WELLINGTON -- The Wellington Rotary Club had a corner on the Santa market at Sunday's holiday parade.

It's a rule of the 20-year-old event -- there can be only one Kris Kringle and this year he graced the rotary club's float. The rule is taken so seriously that any float trying to put up an imposter will be yanked from the lineup. Santa caps are OK, but there better not be more than one white-bearded jolly gentlemen wearing one.

"There's only one Santa, you can't have more than one," said Vivian Palmer, director of the Palm West Chamber of Commerce, the parade's organizer. She added that the rule was enacted, in part, to keep youngsters from wondering how two Santas can be at the same place at the same time.

Joining Santa in this year's two-hour parade was rescued prisoner of war U.S. Army Spec. Shoshana Johnson, who was greeted by a standing ovation from parade-goers as she waived from a convertible.

Johnson, who was grand marshal of the parade, was accompanied by her aunt, Margaret Thorne-Henderson, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Wellington resident. Johnson arrived in Florida on Thursday and was whisked to the airport for a return trip to her home in Texas shortly after her parade appearance. She said once there she will begin the process to receive a medical discharge.

"It's been a little overwhelming because there have been so many events coming and there's my family and my daughter to spend time with," said Johnson, whose maintenance convoy was ambushed March 23 in Nasiriya, Iraq. Some of her colleagues were killed. Johnson and two others were wounded.

Johnson was in the same maintenance company with Pfc. Jessica Lynch, whose ordeal and rescue drew international attention. Both Johnson and Lynch were named Women of the Year by Glamour magazine in November.

Adrienne Sasko, of Wellington, said she planned to tell her daughter, Shana, 10, and her son, Austin, 6, about what happened to Johnson and why she was being honored as the parade's grand marshal.

"I do want them to know what she went through," Sasko said.

Parade organizers said more than 35,000 spectators watched the parade last year and they were expecting at least that many Sunday.

Some parade volunteers were concerned about how cool weather early Sunday morning would affect turnout, but by 1 p.m., the temperature was approaching 70 degrees in the sun and parade-goers were shedding jackets and sweaters.

The parade featured about 95 groups. They included floats, marching bands, baton twirling troupes, cheerleaders, elected officials in convertibles, sheriff's officers on mountain bikes and horses, an acting school, "Billy the Marlin" mascot, and, of course, Santa Claus ended the show.

kimberly_miller@pbpost.com


0

Share this topic:


Page 1 of 1
  • You cannot start a new topic
  • You cannot reply to this topic

1 User(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users