By Greg Grisolano

ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com

John and Carole Powell were reminiscing about the Joplin Veterans Parade on Saturday as they waited on the downtown sidewalk for this year’s marchers.

“I can remember when these sidewalks used to be full,” said John Powell, a retired member of the National Guard and lifelong Joplin resident. “I think the weather has a lot to do with it, but even if (it wasn’t the weather), I think there would be a low turnout.”

“We’ve always come to the parade,” Carole Powell said. “I think we’re pretty patriotic.”

A first-time parade goer, Joan Hicks, said she was surprised by the low turnout to see the parade.

“Where are the people?” she said as she waited in an alcove with a friend in the 500 block of Main Street. “We should honor our veterans, big time.”

Temperatures in the mid-30s on Saturday morning may have kept some spectators away, but parade officials said they believe turnout was better than previous years.

“We had 59 entries this year,” said Howard Spiva, commander of American Legion Post 13 in Joplin. “That’s our biggest in 21 years.”

The parade expanded its route this year, stretching from 15th and Main streets north through downtown, before looping back at Third Street toward Memorial Hall.

Spiva said he is concerned about the future of the parade, once many of his fellow World War II veterans die. But he said he is encouraged by efforts to recruit younger veterans from the Iraq War into the Legion and service work.

“They’ve told us all our WWII veterans will be gone by 2016,” he said. “Hopefully we can hand it (the parade) down to the young veterans of today.”

Memorial service