Marian Morreale's family was looking to do something special for the veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard this 4th of July weekend. So they decided to march down Mark Avenue in Hamburg Sunday afternoon in an impromptu parade. And they didn't tell Marian what was going to happen.
"I had no idea, not at all," she said.
The surprise parade was quite the sight. Dozens of Marian's family marched alongside her as neighbors waved from the sidewalk.
Marian was a radio operator with the Coast Guard for three years during WWII. It's one of the things her son Vince admires about her.
"She fought for the country when it was important that everyone contribute," he said.
Marian's love for the red, white and blue is just as strong now as it was when she was serving her country.
"Still at 93, I cry when I hear the national anthem," she said. "I love my country. We have the greatest country in the world."
One of the only things more important to Marian than the United States is her family.
"This is only part of them," she says while looking around at her party following the parade. "We've got a great family. God blessed me. He did."
