By Nathan Prewett
MOODY – The Moody City Council heard a request from a resident who wants to hold a parade for veterans of the Vietnam War in St. Clair County on March 1, 2025 to give them the welcome that he feels many were not given at the end of the war in 1975.
The resident, Steve Lawley, addressed the council on Monday, Aug. 12 to request a permit for the event. Thought not a veteran himself, he wants the community to join him in expressing their appreciation to those who served in Vietnam as people do for veterans of more recent wars.
“I’m sure most of us when they see a veteran they shake their hand and say ‘Thank you for your service,’ and the Vietnam veterans, while they do appreciate that, you know, if we could go one step more, you could talk to them and what they’d like to hear is ‘Thank you for your service, welcome home,’” he said.
Lawley said that when many veterans returned from the war, they were not treated respectfully by those who thought the war was unjustified.
“They landed in the airports and they were cussed at, spit on and called baby killers and worse,” he told the council.
As veterans age fewer and fewer are around each passing year, he said, which is another part of why he wants to put on the event next year.
“I’d love to see Moody Parkway just full of people on both sides with flags waving and ‘Welcome home’ signs, so that’s what’s kind of been in my heart,” he said.
The parade would be staged at 11 a.m. at ADESA before routing through Moody Parkway and ending with a banquet at the civic center.
Mayor Joe Lee wholeheartedly supported the idea and advised working with the police department regarding handling traffic during the event. He also suggested drafting plans and bringing them before the council at a future date. City Attorney James Hill said that no permit was needed.
The council heard reports from department heads for the month of July, with Police Chief Reece Smith reporting 1,748 calls for service, 35 traffic accidents, 125 citations, 106 reports completed, 46 misdemeanors, 22 felonies, and $2,731.04 spent on vehicle maintenance.
Fire Chief Larry Horton’s report said that there were 148 total responses, two fires (one vehicle, one outdoors), 87 emergency medical calls, eight wrecks, 13 public services, 19 lift assists, 19 false alarms and one mutual aid given. There were 44 annual inspections, 18 inspections and one fire pump inspection.
At the end of the meeting Lee allowed a comment from David Howard, who works in real estate and spoke on code enforcement. He said that he was working on selling his parents’ home in Forest Drive when he noted nine homes that had multiple cars in their yards along with other items and were also overgrown with privet.
He said that he has also noted that there is an increasing trend of home ownership from being private to being corporate-controlled, which he said has a tendency to create blight and neglect in communities.
He encouraged the council to consider ways to “get ahead” of potential problems caused by these structures and hire full-time code enforcement workers. Lee said that the council would look into it and would meet with him to hear more.
In other business the council:
- Approved a request from Horton to purchase fire prevention handouts for $5,000,
- Approved Horton’s request to have the yearly hose and ladder test done for $5,000,
- Purchased medical supplies for the fire department for $2,100,
- Approved a request by Library Director Sara Roberts to renew the Overdrive subscription for $3,000,
- Approved Smith’s request to replace the struts in car number 362 for $1,082,
- Approved Smith’s request to surplus several department vehicles, and
- Approved the repair of a department tractor for $2,448.80.
Meetings are held on the second and fourth Monday of every month at 6 p.m. at Moody City Hall on 670 Park Ave.
Nathan Prewett can be reached at nthomasp6@gmail.com.
