The wind Saturday morning was just enough to billow the flags of the marchers in the annual Tamaqua Veterans Day parade.

But it wasn’t enough to keep away the people of Tamaqua, who honored those who have served in the armed forces.The annual parade, sponsored by Tamaqua American Legion, C.H. Berry Post 173, saw a strong crowd.The parade’s grand marshal was Tamaqua resident William “Uncle Bill” Sommers, 91, a veteran of World War II.Sommers served in the U.S. Army between 1943-1947 and has been a member of the American Legion for 68 years.He was followed by poppy queen Caitlyn Kovatch.Joining them in the parade were groups like the Tamaqua High School Band, the Legion’s color guard, and local owners of vintage military equipment.The town’s Cub Scout and Girl Scout groups combined forces to carry a huge American flag in one of the parade’s most patriotic moments.Residents young and old got in the spirit of the parade. Panther Valley Middle School student Zachary Swolensky sold poppies to remember veterans and their service.He said that he was thinking particularly of his brother, who served two tours in Afghanistan and is now thankfully out of harm’s way.“Almost my whole family served in the military, Swolensky said.Jean Gurnavage, a lifelong Tamaqua resident, joined others at the town’s high rise to watch the parade go by. Her thoughts were with her husband, who served in Korea, and her son who served 20 years in the Air Force. She said that the parade is an annual highlight for her.“I’ve lived in Tamaqua all my life,” she said. “It’s a nice town.”Janice Fredericks, the wife of a former Marine, said that it was nice to see the people who came out to respect the veterans, but noticed that there could be more.“I just wish that more people would come out,” she said.