Former World War II Prisoner of War Sergeant Wilbert “Vince” Rolves led the 11th Annual Greater Centralia Area Veterans Fourth of July Parade Monday afternoon.
Small groups gathered in shady areas to watch the parade that totaled nearly 40 entries in the 100-degree plus heat index.
After riding through the parade, Rolves was presented a plaque marking the occasion by Centralia Mayor Bryan Kuder and Parade Chair Butch Mathis.
“It was real nice. Obviously a little warm, but we will survive.”
Survive is something Rolves didn’t think would be the case when he was being held as a Prisoner of War in World War II in Germany where they were served things like maggot soup.
“When I was captured I weighed 198 pounds. And by 18 months later I weighed about 109. The Russian army came through and shot the locks off the gates and let us loose. There was about 8-10 of us left on that farm. They said you are free to go. So we was about 50 miles away from the river and they told us how to get there on foot. We made it.”
Rolves says they were glad to see smiling faces. He earned two Purple Hearts and Silver and Bronze Stars due to his service. Rolves, now 98, is the only surviving World War II POW in Illinois.
The prize winners in the parade include the New Testament Baptist Church in Centralia for Most Patriotic with their entry “Tip of the Hat to America”.
The Rock Church Trail Life Troop took second. In the Civic division, the Prairie State Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution took top honors. The Outlaw Motorcycle Club of Centralia and their entry “Let Freedom Roar” was second. The Ron Bradham family took first in the family division and the Lee family took second.
Mathis was pleased with all the entries and all the support from the emergency services.
All those present who were part of a first or second place float in the 4th of July Parade.
Pat Hodges has a look back in pictures at the parade itself:
