Vergennes Memorial Day Parade

Description

American Legion Post # 14 in Vergennes is hosting the annual Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 25th in Vergennes, Vermont. This year's parade theme is "The last full measure of devotion."(Gettysburg Address) Following the parade, a ceremony honoring our service men and women will be held on the Vergennes Green. The parade will step off at 11:00 am and follow a 1.5-mile route through the city. The parade honors all men and women who have served our country during times of conflict. It is designed to appeal to veterans and our community. The parade marshal for this year's parade is Travis Scribner. The guest speaker at the ceremony held in the park will be Dennis Armell. Following the parade, a chicken barbeque will be held at American Legion Post # 14 from 12:00 noon until they are sold out.

Parade Speaker Dennis Armell served in the Vermont Army National Guard for 44 years from January 1972-August 2015, retiring with the rank of Master Sergeant ( E-8). Amrell served both in field artillery and logistics with deployments to Canada and Kuwait. A member of American Legion Post # 14 in Vergennes for the past thirty-six years, Armell has held the positions of Chaplin, Adigent, Sergeant at Arms and Historian. In addition, he has been involved with the Vergennes Memorial Day Parade since 2015 and annually coordinates the placement of 1100 flags on the graves of service men and women in the five town region. Armell shared that the military gave him, "discipline and he hopes that all who attend the parade remember the commitment of time, service and devotion that our service men and women have given this country." Armell and his wife Nancy live in Ferrisburgh and their daughter Felicia currently serves in the Vermont Air National Guard in the 158 Fighter Wing and is overseas.

Parade Marshall Travis Scribner served in both the Army and Air National Guard. He served in the Army National Guard from 1998-2006 attaining the rank of Sargent. He was a 62 E Heavy Equipment Operator with the 131st Engineers in Colchester, VT. In 2010, Scribner enlisted in the 158th Fighter Wing as a Munitions Systems Technician and was deployed in 2013 in Djibouti and in 2016 to Kuwait. Scribner was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal and retired in 2024 as a Master Sargeant with 22 years of service. Scribner shared, "Like so many other veterans, Memorial Day is special to me because it is a time for reflection to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice due to their military service. In particular, I take the time to remember my late friend, Chris Gelineau who lost his life in service in Mosul, Iraq in 2004. I think about him very frequently. I also like to honor those who came home, but are no longer with us. It is a way to remember their legacy and sacrifices that helped make our country what it is today. We are fortunate that even with the obstacles that the United States face to live in such a free and privileged society." Scribner lives in Vergennes with his family and serves as the Scoutmaster of Troop 539 and as head coach of the VUHS wrestling Program.

Contact Information
All groups and individuals wanting to be in the parade, please complete forms on this link or stop by American Legion Post # 14, located at 100 Armory Lane, Vergennes, Vermont for a paper copy. Registrations must be received by May 18, 2026. Once your registration form has been submitted, you will get a confirmation reply and a list of parade rules and procedures containing arrival times, line up procedures and other important information.