Parade is to honour Mercian regiment
Serving soldiers and veterans will march side by side under new plans to honour their contribution to Staffordshire with a parade next summer.
The special parade would pay tribute to the under-threat 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, formerly known as the Staffords, and Staffordshire Regimental Association.
Cannock Chase Council leader George Adamson is behind the planned "once-in-a-lifetime" event, which could be held in June. He said each would be awarded the freedom of the district in what is thought to be the first such display of support to include both serving and ex-personnel. Councillor Adamson will ask an emergency council meeting for support next week.
He said today: "This would be a brilliant, once-in-a-lifetime event giving people in the district the chance to honour the Staffords and veterans at the same time."
Trevor Evans, parade marshall at the Staffordshire Regimental Association, said: "It is absolutely wonderful, tremendous, that they are thinking of doing this for the Staffords before they are disbanded."
Under Government plans the 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment will be lost in the coming years as part of a reorganisation of the Army, slashing troop numbers from 102,000 to 82,000 by 2020.
