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The 2017 Veterans' Parade will be held on Sunday, November 12 beginning at 1:00 p.m. according to Mayor Thomas P. Schneider.
Parade participants will assemble and start the parade at Bangert Park and precede North on Florissant Road and then turn left on St. Francois and end the parade at the VFW where the ceremony will take place to honor the 2017 Veteran of the Year.
This year’s Parade Marshal is Frank Demos, who was last year’s Veteran of the Year winner. Tony Colombo from FM News Talk 97.1 will be the Emcee. The Guest Speaker will be Carl A. Hargus. Carl served in the United States Army retiring from active duty in 1980. His last assignment was a Sergeant Major and Career Counselor Supervisor for Hq III Corps and Fort Hood, Texas. Sergeant Major Hargus was awarded numerous decorations including the Purple Heart, The Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Vietnam Service Medal with 12 campaign stars and many more. After retiring from the military, Carl served as a Veterans Service Officer with the Missouri Veterans Commission, retiring as Director of the Service Officer program in July 2002.
Dennis T. Klier has been named 2017 Florissant Veteran of the Year. Dennis joined the United States Air Force in 1965 with his brother Ronald and together went to basic training at the Lackland AFB. After basic training he attended Munitions Specialist tech school and after receiving his top security clearance he was assigned to the command post of a NATO Tactical Air Command fighter base in England. He reached the rank of Staff Sergeant and was honorably discharged in 1969. Dennis moved back to Florissant with his family. In 1969 he entered the Greater St. Louis Police Academy after graduation he was assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division with St. Louis County Police. During his career he held positions as a helicopter pilot, narcotics detective, a field training officer and was an instructor at the police academy. Dennis received a degree in Criminal Justice and Business. After a career in law enforcement he began a 32-year career with Anheuser- Busch as an Operations Manager at various AB distributors around the country. He later became president of a truck leasing company.
In 2012 he moved back to Florissant to take care of his father (who was a highly decorated WWII Veteran with 66 bomber missions in the European Theatre),
Dennis joined the Patriot Guard after being emotionally moved by the Patriot Guard’s escort for his father’s funeral. He did his first mission in mid July 2014, and to date have participated in over 600 missions. He has participated in several escorts from the St Louis airport wherein Active Duty Deaths or remains that had previously been unidentified have returned home and they escort the Hero's remains to their home town, wherever that was in Missouri or Illinois. He also enjoys supporting local Police Departments when and where he can, especially in these difficult times.
This event was the suggestion of Mr. Norman Sirna, a member of the Veterans' Commission. Mayor Schneider and the City Council invite everyone to bring their children/grandchildren to this event and salute the men and women who have and continue to serve this great country in Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.