Old Glory will be out in force in honor of Loyalty Days on the Long Beach Peninsula this weekend

LONG BEACH, Wash. – With its theme of “Patriotism – Then, Now and Forever,” the 53rd annual Loyalty Days celebration in Long Beach, Wash., which includes a blessing of the fleet, banquet and parade, is expected to take on special meaning this year for a couple of reasons.

“This will be a significant year for the Loyalty Days celebration because of the beginning of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial,” says Bob Andrew, one of the chief organizers of the event. “I also believe it will have special meaning because so many are in harm’s way.”

Former Joint Chief of Staff, retired Gen. John Shalikashvili will be guest of honor at the parade and banquet. He was born in Poland in 1936 and served in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969 as an advisor. He led the 9th Infantry from 1987 to 1989, was deputy commander in chief of the U.S. Army in Europe from 1989 to 1991 and commanded NATO forces from 1992 to 1993. After the Persian Gulf War in 1991, he commanded an international force that protected and airlifted food to Kurds in northern Iraq. In 1993, Shalikashvili became the first foreign-born chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In addition to the general, Lewis and Clark will make appearances during the Loyalty Days celebration.

Capt. Meriwhether Lewis and Capt. William Clark will ride through the parade on horseback, preceded by the Lewis and Clark Fife and Drum Corps. Lewis is portrayed by Scott Mandrell from Alton, Ill., and Clark is portrayed by Craig Rockwell from Lewiston, Idaho.

“With excitement mounting over the celebration of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, we felt this was a good time to bring in Lewis and Clark,” says Andrew.

The Lewis and Clark Fife and Drum Corps, from St. Charles, Mo., will have a prominent place in the Loyalty Days festivities. This all-youth corps has members ranging in age from 10-18 and will be making their first ever trip to this area. “We like to call this the first leg of our tour of the Western Frontier,” says Michelle Paris, president elect of the fife and drum corps. Paris will be traveling to Long Beach with the group.

“Ours is the oldest continuous Loyalty Days celebration,” says Andrew. “We’ve never broken stride in all that time.” Andrew recently issued a challenge to other communities with Loyalty Days festivities to prove they had longer running commemorations, but so far none have met the challenge.

The festivities got under way last weekend with the Junior Miss Loyalty Coronation Program and the crowning of Miss Loyalty 2003, Kelsey Heriot. Both these events took place at Hilltop Auditorium in Ilwaco.

Loyalty Days offers a host of events, starting Saturday, May 3.

Seafood fans won’t want to miss the Willapa Seafood Festival at the Nahcotta mooring basin from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 3.

Cheer on the barrel racers beginning at 10 a.m. at the rodeo grounds in Long Beach.

A 52-foot lifeboat will be on display at the Ilwaco boat basin as part of the Coast Guard’s exhibition this weekend.

Set aside time Saturday to watch the kid’s parade at noon in Ilwaco. Because of construction in the area, parade routes may change so watch for signs.

With the rich fishing heritage of the area, the annual blessing of the fleet, sponsored by the Ilwaco Charter Association, is a meaningful event. The memorial associated with this event includes a free scenic boat ride. Len and Eric Nelson of Riparian Productions will be filming the blessing of the fleet this year.

There will also be an oyster feed from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Long Beach Elks Club. This event is open to the public.

The Long Beach Elks Club is the site of an honor’s banquet Saturday evening. Retired Senator Sid Snyder will be the master of ceremonies, with guest speakers Gen. Shalikashvili and Capt. Lewis. Call the Loyalty Days Foundation at (360) 642-5801 for more information about the banquet.

Festivities continue Sunday morning.

Satisfy your hunger with a Cowboy Breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. at the Peninsula Saddle Club grounds, sponsored by the Peninsula Saddle Club.

Curious children will have the opportunity to go for fire truck rides from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Ilwaco City Hall.

The Loyalty Day program starts in earnest at noon in downtown Long Beach. Nabiel Shawa, Long Beach City Administrator and master of ceremonies, will be joined in the reviewing stand by Pastor David George who will give the invocation. Vocalist Virginia Leach will sing “The Star Spangled Banner.” Lt. Richard Burke, Commanding Officer of U.S. Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment, will act as the reviewing officer, and Gen. Shalikashvilli will speak.

At 1 p.m. the U.S. Coast Guard fly over signals the start of the parade. Let the fun begin!