Arla Tweedy, the second woman to serve as commander for Arnold VFW Post 2593, will lead this year’s Arnold Veterans Day Parade, scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11.
Tweedy said she was honored to be chosen for grand marshal.
“It was completely unexpected,” said Tweedy, 58, of Imperial. “I saw (Gary Plunk and Rodney Mullins, the Arnold City Council’s liaisons with the Arnold Veterans Commission) at Arnold Days, which is when they approached me about it. I was flattered, but totally caught off guard. They talked to me about how I donated time to the Veterans Commission, the post and being the second female commander, and said they would love to have me serve as the grand marshal.
“If this does something to inspire another young woman out there, then I am all in.”
Veterans are invited to take part in the parade. Participants are asked to gather at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2211 Tenbrook Road, where church members will serve coffee and doughnuts starting at 10 a.m.
“It looks like this year will be the biggest one we have had that I know of,” said Larry Boyce, a member of the Arnold Veterans Commission who served two years in the Army after being drafted in 1967 during the Vietnam War. “We are expecting up to 25 veterans from the VFW. There also are a lot of veterans who come from out of town. We hope to have a lot of veterans in the parade.”
Typically, the parade also includes military vehicles, groups of veterans walking together and the Fox High band.
The parade will proceed from the church’s parking lot to Tenbrook Road, across Jeffco Boulevard to the Fox C-6 School District campus, 751 Jeffco Blvd.
The veterans will circle the campus, ending near the flagpole outside of Bridges Alternative School, where a wreath ceremony will be held.
Then, veterans are invited to the Fox C-6 Service Center, 849 Jeffco Blvd., for a luncheon the school’s Student Council members put on. There also will be an assembly held to honor the veterans at the Service Center following the luncheon.
“Our Veteran’s Day celebration is easily one of the most anticipated and enjoyed activities that our students produce and take part in for the entire year,” Fox High Principal Ryan Sherp said. “Being able to say thank you to these heroes means so much to our students and staff.
“Every year, Fox High School sends approximately 10 to 20 students to the military, which is one of the higher numbers in the entire St. Louis area, I am told by several recruiters who visit our school on a regular basis. Furthermore, our students and community understand the great sacrifices that our veterans have given to protect our freedom and liberties and enjoy the opportunity to give back to them.”
Tweedy
Tweedy encourages others to join the parade.
“I remember in my first year (participating in the parade) being so impressed by every student who participated in the luncheon and assembly,” said Tweedy, who has participated in the last six parades. “We have some really good kids coming up, and they offer so much hope for us. I really like the luncheon, and not just because of the food but for the ability to interact with the students. That is probably the most enjoyable part.”
Tweedy was named Post 2593 commander in June. Nancy Nelson was the first and only other woman to serve as the post’s commander since it was chartered in 1939.
Tweedy also was a member of the Veterans Commission from 2018 to 2021.
Boyce said she deserved to be named the parade grand marshal. “She is all in to serve veterans, the community and the VFW,” Boyce said. “She is a veteran. She has done a lot for the VFW, even before she was the commander.”
Tweedy said she served in the Army from 1982 until her retirement in 2004 with the rank of E-8 master sergeant.
She said at one point she was stationed in the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
Tweedy said it is rare for a woman to be a post commander because of the requirements to not only have served in the military, but also in a combat situation.
“Only 1 percent of the American population has served in the military. Of that 1 percent, only 0.0875 percent have been women to serve in our military,” she said.
However, she said it’s becoming more common for women to serve in the military.
“We have women flying in combat, leading infantry units and are commanders of VFWs. I think it is awesome,” Tweedy said. “So many things are opening up for future generations.”
Current mission
Tweedy is currently competing in a contest called FabOver40, which asks women over 40 what they would do with a $40,000 grand prize and raises money for the National Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation by requesting donations for votes.
People may vote for free at votefab40/2022/arla-tweedy once in 24 hours. Voting ends at 7 p.m. today, Nov. 3.
Tweedy said she will challenge area businesses to match a $10,000 donation from her prize money to raise funds for a veterans memorial to be built near the gazebo outside the Arnold Recreation Center.
The Veterans Commission has has raised about $9,000 through raffles and donations to help fund the memorial, which will feature five granite benches, each one representing a military branch, Boyce said.
Those who want to participate in the Arnold Veterans Day Parade should contact Karen Fay by Nov. 1 at the Arnold Parks and Recreation Department at 636-282-2380 or by email at kfay@arnoldmo.org.