PARADE MARKS DRUM MILESTONE

The Armed Forces Day parade Saturday in Watertown celebrated the 100th birthday of Fort Drum.

"It's great we live in the Watertown region. The parade is a good way to find out what else is going on in the area," said Amy J. Campany, a city resident who was attending with her boyfriend and her three children.

She said her children were very excited about the candy the marchers were throwing to them, and got many fliers about other events in the region.

"It's fun," said Margie L. Hopkins, Watertown. "We were on a walk, saw the parade and decided to stop and watch."

It was her 6-year-old son Jacob's first Armed Forces Day parade.

"I liked the fire truck the most," he said.

Rosalyn M. Farmer, Watertown, whose husband served in World War II, said she always enjoys coming out to watch the marchers.

"I think it's wonderful," she said.

"We had a good turnout; the weather turned out to be great," said Stanley E. Zaremba, parade chairman.

Mr. Zaremba said there were a lot of participating marchers, but the total number of marching units, 65, was down a little from last year's 69.

Police cars, antique cars, fire trucks, ambulances, school bands and community marchers joined soldiers for the stroll down Washington Street amid waving and cheering spectators.

Betty A. Hull, Watertown, said she was out to support the 10th Mountain Division soldiers from Fort Drum. Ms. Hull's husband, her two brothers and a grandson are war veterans.

"It's a great way to support our troops. That's what we're here for, to support our veterans and the troops," Ms. Hull said.

Also at the parade was Iraq Veterans Against the War, a national nonprofit group, whose members approached Col. Kenneth H. Riddle, the new Fort Drum garrison commander, calling for better mental health care for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Members of the organization spoke to Col. Riddle in front of the Dulles State Office Building without disrupting the parade.

"We weren't here to protest, but just to highlight our veterans' mental health issue," said Michael E. Totten, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War Chapter 34 in Rochester, after the confrontation with the colonel.

"His response to us was, 'I'm not familiar with the issue.' And when we told him we could spend some time to familiarize him with the issue, he told us that we need to go through the PR department," Mr. Totten said.

"There's no accountability," said Bryan J. Casler, also a member of IVAW Chapter 34, in response to Col. Riddle's remarks.

The group arrived in Watertown on Friday, concluding a 10-day New York March for Peace that collected marchers from throughout the state. The organization also held the Fort Drum Spring Festival on Saturday at Black Water River Park & Campground on Watertown's Huntington Street.