Bold Stripes, Bright Stars, Brave Hearts" is the theme of the 2024 Mount Joy Memorial Day Parade. Patriotism will be on full display when the parade steps off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, traveling along Main Street from Angle Street to Barbara Street. Joe Coover, a Korean War veteran, will serve as grand marshal.

"The Mount Joy parade has become the largest and best-known Memorial Day parade in Lancaster County," said John Coleman, parade committee member. "With its origin in the late 1800s, it has a long tradition of providing a fitting remembrance to those men and women who sacrificed their lives for the freedoms which we enjoy."

He noted that the committee is especially appreciative of the community support it receives for the parade. "With this support, we have been able to recruit 10 bands to be in our parade," he said, noting that bands will include the Donegal High School marching band and the Donegal Alumni Band. "We were also able to recruit the Ferko String Band from Philadelphia and the Keystone Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps of Hope Fire Company in Northern Cambria. The String Band will be in full costume, and the Drum and Bugle Corps will play for the crowd before the parade in the reverse direction, so make sure you get there early to see them in both directions." The committee will also award prizes for the best floats.

Coleman emphasized that the parade would not be possible with sponsors, including major sponsor Houseal Plumbing. "We have 10 divisions, each with a sponsor," he said. "They include Hershey Heating and Air Conditioning, Berkshire Hathaway - Denny Brandt, Sheetz Funeral Home, Fox Chapel Publishing, Berkshire Hathaway - Ferne Silberman & Rose Madar, General RV Center, Hearing & Ear Care Center, Keystone Lawn Company, SM Johns & Son Construction and Stauffers of Kissel Hill."

Grand marshal Coover was born and raised in the west end of Mount Joy. "Because I didn't have anyone pushing me to do my schoolwork, I did not graduate and I couldn't do summer school because I had already signed up to join the Naval Reserves," he recalled, noting that the then-principal of the high school said if Coover earned his GED while in the Navy, he would give Coover a high school diploma. "So, while in the Navy a year later, I sat in a huge warehouse in Cuba with a desk and a chair and for four hours, I took the GED exam and passed," he shared. "Principal Beahm did keep his promise!"

Moved from the Naval Reserves to the Naval Academy, Coover was then sent to Japan, where he served on the destroyer USS Black DD666. While in the Navy, Coover wrote to a female friend asking if Marianne Schofield was dating anyone. "Little did I know, my friend shared my letter with her," he said. "We were married on Feb. 18, 1956. She passed away just before our 59th anniversary nine years ago."

Community service was always important to the Coover family. For about 20 years, Marianne and Joe, along with their daughter Kerry Meyers and her husband, Bob, held a Christmas event at their home. "Hundreds of friends brought gifts and gave them to Santa," Coover said, noting that the gifts were for homeless students in the School District of Lancaster. Over the years, the Coovers also gave swim lessons to hundreds of children in their backyard pool, with donations for the lessons supporting community organizations, including REYS and the Milanof-Schock Library.