SUN CITY – For many Americans, Memorial Day brings a carefree morning watching the parade go by, traditionally setting the stage for summer’s slower pace.
However, for Sun City resident Patrick Conley, the Memorial Day parade moves at a much brisker tempo. As chairman of the Huntley Memorial Day parade, Conley is the chief organizer of the city’s triumphant trot through town.
First war, then fires, but Sun City resident Patrick Conley’s proudest march is through Huntley, as chairman of the Huntley Memorial Day Parade. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
“At first I thought organizing the parade was going to be a challenge, and it does take quite a bit of work,” Conley said. “I’ll put it this way: at the end of this month, we start organizing for next year to make sure we’ve got our ducks in a row.”
As a member of the American Legion, Conley has been at the helm of Huntley’s parade for four years and handles a lengthy list of duties. Some of these tasks are the most hectic during parade day.
“I’m there to get the parade going, and then I’m the last person who leaves the village hall once the parade has started,” he said. “I have to make it back downtown for the 21-gun salute.”
Before this, however, Conley must coordinate all applicants who wish to be involved, including assuring that all the applications are carefully reviewed. He revealed that a large part of the participation is done by local girl and boy scout troops, who place flags on the veterans’ graves the week prior.
Sun City Marines participating in a previous year’s Memorial Day parade. (Sun Day File Photo)
“The way we have it set up is that you get an application to be in the parade. There’s no cost or anything, and there is no limit,” Conley said.
However, that no-limit policy has posed problems in the past. Conley recalled one year when the parade’s leniency was exploited when a local taxi company decided to showcase a copious amount of its own cars in the parade’s already lengthy lineup.
“All we need is one vehicle, not all of them,” Conley said.
But it is not only automobiles that have caused a stir. One of Conley’s most memorable mishaps during the parade involved local livestock.
“One of my favorite memories is when we had the Illinois 8th Cavalry in the parade. These are men who are Civil War re-enactors. They rode their horses, and these horses had a habit of leaving a few road biscuits along the way. The guys from Public Works had to run along behind them with a shovel and broom. It was certainly something different that year,” Conley said.
Fortunately, most of Conley’s parade prep is smooth sailing. Perhaps this is due to Conley’s strong leadership abilities, which he attributes to his former career as a lieutenant in the Chicago Fire Department, where he worked for 34 years.
“It just helps me organize the parade that I was an officer,” Conley said, adding that he also learned the importance of team effort.
“Being a firefighter provided good camaraderie. It’s a fraternity, it’s a brotherhood,” he said.
In addition to his role as firefighter, Conley’s service in the United States Navy from 1961 to 1965 also prepared him for this Memorial Day job on both a personal and professional level.
“You have to be a veteran to join the American Legion, which organizes the parade,” he said. “The American Legion was formed in 1919 after the first World War, and I’ve been a member for 25 years.”
Clearly, Conley knows firsthand the memorial message within the march. His favorite part of the job?
“Watching the kids and the scouts have a ball helping out,” he said.
