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Troutman ready for annual parade

By Donna Swicegood | Statesville R&L

Published: June 22, 2009

A Statesville attorney and member of the U.S. Army Reserve will be the grand marshal of the fifth annual Iredell County Independence Day parade Saturday in Troutman.

Major Gen. James B. Mallory III, who served in the U.S. Army, Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division, from 1977-81, and has been in the U.S. Army Reserve since, will lead the parade.

Mallory is a graduate of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., and received his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.

While in the Army, Mallory was a line, weapons and reconnaissance platoon leader, a training officer and was discharged as a captain. In the Reserve, he has served as a basic combat training company commander, battalion commander, brigade executive officer and commander, assistant division commander and division commander.

The parade will start at 11 a.m. Saturday and will wind through the town on U.S. Highway 21.

The street through Troutman will be closed around 10:30 a.m. and reopen around 1 p.m.

Dennis Clary, who leads the committee that plans the annual event, said the number of entries is down from last year, but it is still going to be a top-notch parade.

"Everything's falling into place," he said Friday.

He said there were around 147 entries in last year's parade, and the top number of units topped 300.
This year, about 120 entries are expected, and the deadline to enter the parade is today, Clary said.
He said he's pleased with that number of entries.

"We want it to be a special parade, but we don't want it to get too big," Clary said.

The parade faced the same economic woes that many others are dealing with, losing its funding from Iredell County due to budget constraints.

But others picked up the slack, Clary said. Many people donated water or cash to make sure the parade goes as planned.

The parade was organized five years ago as a way to pay tribute to the those who served their country and to observe the founding of the country.

It is traditionally held the Saturday before the Fourth of July.

The parade is just a part of Troutman's recognition of Independence Day. Fireworks will be held at the fairgrounds Saturday night, beginning around dusk.