CC gets in before the parade passes by

Seven-year-old Kaitlin Oliver gets in the spirit with her great uncle, Keith Oliver.

When Keith Oliver’s home town throws a parade, its citizens turn out regardless of the weather.  Eustis, FL, located about 40 miles north of Orlando in the heart of Central Florida, annually celebrates GeorgeFest, in honor of our Nation’s first president. This year the Eustis Historical Society honored its home town Marine by inviting him to speak early in the week and be saluted by riding  in the annual George Fest Parade on Feb.  27. 

CC Gene Packwood (l), a member of the local Marine Corps League Honor Guard, reunites with Executive Director Jack Paxton. The two served briefly together at Parris Island in the early 1950s. Packwood annually prepares the Florida Chapter Gator ad for the Conference Journal.

Keith, always a proponent of misery-loving-company, then decreed that his Executive Director, Jack Paxton who lived nearby should also share the honor as a salute to the CCs.  They were joined by Keith’s great niece, Kaitlin, whose parents reside in Eustis.

The forecast of  rain and an unusually cold day came true forcing the abandonment of riding in a convertible with the top down.  “Well,” as Keith said when it started raining, “it could be worse.”  And, it was.

We were to be the 26th unit in the 100+unit parade.  ‘Were’ became the operative word.  As our turn  to move out came the car would not start and parade officials quickly marshaled forces and pushed us out of the parade route.  As the convertible was a stick shift we asked several bystanders for help, thinking we could kick it into gear but that failed.  Finally, our ever-resourceful former National President, started asking nearby parade-watchers if anyone had jumper cables.  They did and we were finally back in the parade… in about the 78th spot.