The parade committee for the Welcome Home celebration yesterday issued this statement to all veterans organizations, fraternal, civic and social clubs:

"The citizens of Utica have decided that an appropriate time to welcome home World War II veterans is V-J Day, Aug. 14 and a grand celebration is planned with a parade in the afternoon,

"Mayor Golder will, by proclamation, declare a special holiday with a request for all merchants and industries to close for a half day. Merchants are asked to display colors and flags as soon as possible to the committee on decorations may start decorating the streets. The committee is expected to start street decorations this morning.

"Many committees are working to make the day a memorable occasion. The parade committee desires that very veteran and civic organization take part in making the parade the greatest ever seen in Utica.

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"ALL VETERAN organizations, civic and social clubs are invited to participate in the parade. Each organization should inform the parade committee if it will parade the approximate number of participants and if the organization will provide its own music.

"Committee headquarters are in the school administration building, and the telephone number is 2-4439."

UTICA will be given every World War II veteran in Utica in connection with the celebration. The order for the great number of medals probably will not come through in time for the celebration, but every veteran will be given one, either through the mail or some other means.

In any event, a representative of each of the armed forces will be presented a medal during the celebration.

A MEDAL like this one with the seal of the city and emblems of the five branches of the armed forces will be given every World War II veteran in Utica in connection with the Welcome Home celebration Aug. 14. On the reverse side of the medal are the words "For Your Effort In Making This a Better World."
 

This was copied from the Utica Daily Press article of Tuesday, Aug 6, 1946.
Errors in grammar and spelling are as they appeared in the original article.
The photo of the medal is new and is not the original from the article.
Thanks to Bob Quist at the Utica Public Library for researching the original article.
Ron Bednarczyk         October 22, 2002