Published May 12, 2025

Celebrating its 99th year as the longest-running Memorial Day parade in the Michigan, the annual City of Dearborn Memorial Day event will take place on Monday, May 26, 2025, along Michigan Ave in East Dearborn. This year’s parade, which pays special tribute to military and law enforcement K-9 officers, returns to its original route from Schaefer Rd to the Dearborn Veterans Park and War Memorial. 

Hosted by the City with collaboration from the Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council, the parade and annual Remembrance Ceremony will be led by Army veteran and Infantry K-9 Handler, Michael Stanton, and Air Force veteran, Michigan State Police trooper, and K-9 handler, Joshua Olszewski. News analyst Lloyd Jackson from 760 WJR AM Radio will emcee the parade.

Parade schedule

The parade will begin at approximately 9:30 a.m. with a military funeral procession. The Grand Marshals and parade groups will follow.

A Remembrance Ceremony will occur immediately following the parade at the Dearborn Veterans Park and War Memorial, located in front of the Henry Ford Centennial Library at 16301 Michigan Ave. The public is welcome to attend. The ceremony will begin at approximately 12 p.m.

The parade will be broadcast live on the City’s local cable channel, City of Dearborn Television (CDTV). 

Route information

The 2025 Memorial Day Parade route will begin at Schaefer Rd and move westward, ending at the Dearborn Veterans Park and War Memorial.

Grand Marshals

United States Army veteran Michael Stanton graduated from Dearborn High School in 1969. Upon joining the Army, he chose a role that combined his love for dogs with his commitment to serving his country as an Infantry Scout Handler. Stanton and his K-9 dog and partner, Chief, provided essential assistance to units requiring bomb and IED protection. 

After completing his service in the Army, Stanton became a Certified Registered Nurse. Today, he continues to speak as an advocate for the nursing profession. Stanton volunteers at the Michigan War Dog Memorial and has adopted two retired veteran dogs who served as explosive detection specialists. 

Joshua Olszewski is a veteran of the United States Air Force and currently serves as a Michigan State Police trooper. He is a canine handler to partner Kai, a German Shepherd. Together, as part of Tracking/Patrol and Narcotics Detection, the duo has had 64 successful tracks and 136 successful narcotics searches since 2021. 

Military funeral procession and cremains 

Dearborn’s Memorial Day parade begins with a funeral procession honoring local veterans who passed without resources for a proper burial. Their remains will be escorted through the parade route in a historical caisson, followed by a riderless horse.

Lance Corporal Robert Stajda was born on July 20, 1949, in Detroit, Michigan. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps on Oct. 1, 1968, and served through 1970. Stajda passed away on Jan. 10, 2025.

U.S. Army veteran Amos R. Howard was born on Oct. 2, 1946. He served his country during the Vietnam War era and passed away on Jan. 25, 2025. Howard previously rang the bell at prior Memorial Day parades.

Both were members of the American Legion Fort Dearborn Post 364 and the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 267 in Dearborn.

Military Flyover

"Rosie's Reply," a B-25D  Mitchell medium bomber owned and operated by the Michigan Flight Experience out of Willow Run Airport, will be conducting several passes over the Dearborn Memorial Day Parade. This aircraft went into service on Dec. 17, 1943 with the U.S. Army Air Forces. Armed with eight .50 caliber machine guns and 4,000 pounds of bombs, this B-25D flew successful bombing missions with the 12th Air Force, 57th Bomb Wing, 340th Bombardment Group, 489th Bombardment Squadron over Italy, Sicily and the Brenner Pass through the Alps. 

Made famous in the Dolittle raid on Japan, the B-25 was the first medium bomber to fly off of an aircraft carrier and it flew in every combat theater during WWII. The B-25 became the most widely-produced American twin-engine combat aircraft of World War II and the only one named after a specific person, Gen. Billy Mitchell, known as the “Godfather of military aviation”.

This year our two special guest passengers are Desert Storm Veteran, Mike Haykus and Vietnam Veteran, Jim Walker.

Lloyd Jackson as parade announcer

Co-host of JR Morning on WJR 760 AM, Lloyd Jackson, will serve as emcee for the 99th parade. Jackson, a Detroit native, began his career at WJR in 1993. He has moderated numerous interviews in his more than 30 years in radio.

For more information about the Dearborn Memorial Day parade, visit Dearborn.gov/MemorialDay. 

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