WATERVILLE -- Veterans everywhere will be honored Wednesday but Omer Saucier hopes prisoners of war and those missing in action will also be kept in people's hearts.

"Try to remember the forgotten few, even though their names are not mentioned," says Saucier, commander of the Bourque-Lanigan American Legion Post 5.

On Wednesday, Veterans Day, Saucier will lead the annual Veterans Day parade organized by the legion.

The parade lineup will start at 9 a.m. in the parking lot of the legion, located between College Avenue and Front Street. The parade starts at 10:30 a.m.

"We're going to go down College Avenue, down Main Street, all the way down to the old Levine's building," Saucier said Saturday. "Then we'll take a left and go back up Front Street to the legion."

Participants and spectators will gather at the tank off Front Street. Saucier will make a brief statement and welcome everyone; then Larry Mitchell, a retired colonel with the U.S. Marine Corps., will speak. Saucier said U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe was invited to speak but he was unsure as of Saturday if she will attend. A lunch will be offered in the American Legion building after the service, he said.

The parade will be big this year, with 30 to 40 units, according to Saucier.

"We have military people, VFW, American Legion, Boys and Girls Scouts, Maine (Army) National Guard, Salvation Army and R.B. Hall Band on a float," he said.

Bands from Waterville, Messalonskee and Lawrence high schools, Dirigo Young Marines, military recruiters, area police and fire department officials, Civil Air Patrol and the Waterville Elks Lodge also will be in the parade, he said.

The American flag, POW/MIA flag, and flags representing various groups in the parade will be flown during the procession, to be held rain or shine, according to Saucier.

He said he will be thinking about those who never returned from various wars.

"It's heartbreaking," he said.

Saucier served in the U.S. Air Force eight years, from 1959 to 1967. He was stationed in Iceland for one year and then went to California. He was a member of the 10-35th Field Activity Group from Washington, D.C.

He remembers being discharged and seeing a lot of troops come home to their families, but some were not so lucky. Even now, people can thank veterans in person, but those still unaccounted for do not get that recognition, he said. Saucier said he hopes people keep those veterans in mind on Wednesday.

"Support our military, period," he said.

Amy Calder -- 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com