Brighton honors veterans at Whoopee Days

BRIGHTON —The Brighton community honored veterans with their Whoopee Days celebration over the weekend.

The tradition and small-town Iowa Pride of Brighton was on full display over the weekend with Whoopee Days.

Over the weekend, the town filled with whoopee pies, parades, cornhole, vendors, tractors, bounce houses, music, and other communities activities.

Alongside all this fun, though, the Whoopee Days committee decided to honor veterans throughout the festivities.

According to committee member Rosemary Pacha, veterans are an important part of Brighton history.

“In the Civil War Brighton sent something like 70 soldiers,” Pacha shared.

Additionally, the Washington County Freedom Rock has been displayed in Brighton since 2018.

According to Pacha, the picture of a soldier on the east side of the rock is meant to depict Sergeant Craig Rich of Brighton.

Rich was killed in action in 1968 in the Vietnam War at 21 years old.

So, to honor veterans, the 113th Whoopee Day Parade embraced a patriotic theme.

The American Legion lead the parade with the flags followed by a riderless horse.

“Here comes the riderless horse with the backwards boots,” Pacha announced during the parade.

A riderless horse carries a pair of backward facing boots in its stirrups to represent a fallen leader, like Sergeant Craig Rich, looking back on his troops for the last time.

Following behind the riderless horse, a float filled with veterans made its way through the parade.

“Be sure to wave at them and thank them for their service,” Pacha encouraged parade attendees as she read off a list of names for those on the float.

Parade goers stood as they showed respect for the veterans passing by.

As the community enjoyed the traditions of whoopee pie eating contests, a mud run, talent contests, and other fun, they found ways to continue to cultivate the theme “Honor and Respect Our Veterans.”

Later on, Saturday afternoon, honoring and respecting veterans continued as the tradition Brighton Homecoming in the Community Center welcomed Kiley Miller from Saving Small Towns to talk more about Civil War heroes from Brighton.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com