The Summit Hill Memorial Day Parade Committee has selected one of the highest ranking commissioned officers to come out of the area to be the Grand Marshal of the 2023 parade, Carbon County’s largest tribute to America on Memorial Day.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) John McFadden will lead the four-division parade that will step off at 11 a.m. Monday, after the traditional memorial service that will begin at 10 a.m. in the center of Ludlow Park.

“John is well-deserving of the honor of Grand Marshal,” said parade committee chairman Thomas Vermillion. “He has been a part of the community, and is generous with his time volunteering to serve it for a long time. The American Legion and parade committee members unanimously agree that John should be this year’s selection.”

“I’ve always felt honored to be able to represent veterans, especially on a day as somber as this one, so I consider it a privilege to be selected to lead the parade,” said McFadden, who lives in Summit Hill with his longtime companion, Janet Demetriades.

A son of Jean McFadden, retired Summit Hill businesswoman, and the late Vincent McFadden, the Grand Marshal will speak at the memorial service. He will then ring the former Summit Hill High School bell that signals the step-off of the parade.

McFadden graduated in 1970 from Marian Catholic High School, Hometown. After brief college stints, a 24-year career in the U.S. Army took him around the world as a battalion commander.

McFadden went on to handle command and staff officer positions on numerous tours of duty before retiring from the military in 1998. He later served as a personal service contractor and a foreign service officer in the U.S. Department of State.

After his 1973 enlistment, McFadden moved through the military ranks, attending officer candidate’s school. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry in 1975. He served as platoon leader and company executive officer in the Panama Canal Zone from 1975-77.

After completing the Special Forces Qualification Course, he was stationed with the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, from 1977-82. He completed his college studies, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Lowell.

After the Infantry Officers Advanced course, he was assigned as a company commander in the 3rd Brigade in Korea’s Demilitarized Zone. McFadden was then selected for Foreign Officers training program, attending the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and earning a master’s degree in international relations from the Fletcher School for Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Promoted to Major, he was assigned as an adviser to the Venezuelan Special Forces for two years. Upon his return to the U.S., he was assigned to the Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he served as a Battalion Executive Officer, Plans and Operations Officer, and Commander, B Co., 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group.

Upon his promotion, McFadden was assigned to 4th Special Operations Support Command at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, where he served as operations officer, executive officer, and eventually, director of special operations on the staff of the U.S. Army - Pacific.

During his military career, McFadden served in numerous countries, including Permanent Change of Stations in Germany, Panama, Korea, Venezuela and temporary duty deployments worldwide. After his retirement, he was contracted to provide safety and security services for U.S. government operations in conflict zones, including Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Sudan. In 2011, he joined the Foreign Service in the U.S. Department of State, serving in Kenya, Africa, The Hague, Netherlands, and Washington, D.C., before retiring in June 2017.

He is a life member of American Legion Post 316, Summit Hill, a member of the Nesquehoning V.F.W. Post and the AMVETS organization.

Vermillion said the committee continues to build the annual parade in its effort to grow it to the “pre COVID pandemic” size. “We have several groups returning, along with a few new groups and organizations. Although we are still seeing some groups haven’t recovered since COVID, we are anticipating the 2023 event will still be a great parade.”