May 22nd, 2024 at Eclipse Center 9:15am Arrival!

Join us for the Annual VetsRoll Victory Parade, a heartfelt tribute to our nation's veterans, brought to you by brothers John and Mark Finnegan. Coming from a military family themselves, the Finnegan brothers' desire to recognize and honor veterans hits close to home.

As summer fills the air with military connections, from Memorial Day to July 4th, the annual VetsRoll Victory Parade marks the beginning of a season of memorials and celebrations. Spanning days and multiple states, this parade is a true spectacle.

In honor of their parents, Cy and Barbara Finnegan, and the legacy of their generation, John and Mark founded VetsRolls. Every year, since its inception, VetsRolls has taken veterans and support staff to Washington D.C. to visit memorials built in their honor.

The service of the veterans they support is reminiscent of their own parents' service. Cy served in WWII as a Machinist Mate in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific Philippine Theater. Barbara worked as an Army Signal Corps civilian office employee as a decoder for the War Department in Arlington, VA, before becoming a wiring cable lacer at Jorgensen Engineering in Beloit until the end of the war.

VetsRoll's inaugural trip to Washington D.C. took place on May 17-20, 2010, with over 125 WWII veterans and Rosie-the-Riveters in a caravan of nine motorhomes, three charter buses, and a support van. The following year, attendance swelled to 200 veterans from WWII, the Korean War, and Rosies. With each trip, a support team of over 100 volunteers and medical personnel joins.

One of the trip's main goals is to provide closure, gratitude, and respect to the veterans.

VetsRoll covers all costs for the veterans' round trip from Beloit to D.C., made possible by generous donations given year-round to support the organization. For more information on the program, volunteering, or signing up, visit VetsRoll.

HOW YOU CAN WELCOME OUR VETS BACK HOME

You have a chance to help honor our veterans as they return home from D.C., giving them a welcome many never received when they returned home the first time. Please see below for the map detailing the parade route, directions, and approximate timing.

A sweet welcome home with signs, red, white, and blue clothing, glow sticks, or, by special request, 1940s style clothing, is highly encouraged for the parade.

FB link: https://www.facebook.com/VetsRoll.org