Lt. Col. William L. Glasgow, commanding officer of the 1-155thInfantry Battalion of Brookhaven, has been tapped as the guestspeaker of the fourth annual Veterans Parade downtown Monday.

Glasgow, a native of Starkville, has commanded the unit sinceFeb. 2001. He has served in the military for more than 22years.

Parade organizer Paul Jackson said this year’s event should bespecial. Tributes will be made not only to Glasgow’s 155th InfantryBn. but also the 296th Army Reserve Transportation Company, whichis based here.

Both unit’s have participated in the ongoing Operation IraqiFreedom.

The 155th Infantry Bn. was one element of the 155th BrigadeCombat Team, which deployed to Iraq in January 2005 and returned inlate December 2005.

The 296th deployed to Kuwait in 2003 and then to Iraq for morethan a year of service. The unit’s mission was to providetransportation of bulk fuel to combat units.

Operation Iraqi Freedom was the 296th’s second time to deploy tothe Middle East. The company was also deployed to Saudi Arabia insupport of Operations Desert Shield and Storm in the 1990s.

Both units will be providing modern military vehicles to theparade to display typical equipment used by the soldiers and forveterans to ride in. Additional vintage military vehicles will alsoparticipate.

Jackson said he hopes to draw at least as many veterans as inyears past.

“We had more than 300 vets last years, and we hope we’ll have atleast that many this year,” he said.

The parade, traditionally held the Saturday before Memorial Day,will be held on the Monday holiday this year, Jackson said.

The parade will travel along its usual route, with a pause atthe Veteran Memorial on the steps of the Lincoln County GovernmentComplex for a brief ceremony.

The parade will start at the historic train depot at 10 a.m.with vehicle line up beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The Military Memorial Museum, which highlights the service andachievements of local soldiers from the Civil War to the presentday, will be open all day, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Jackson said.