Coming Home Parade will welcome veterans back from Friday fishing tournament.

#MasonCountyNews #FishOnForFreedom

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

LUDINGTON — The second annual Fish On For Freedom veterans’ free fishing tournament takes place Friday morning. The weather forecast is calling for clear skies with temperatures in the upper ‘70s. The event organizers are asking those on land to help welcome the veterans back to shore for the Coming Home boat parade in Ludington harbor.

“We’ve got over 100 veterans participating with 30 charter fishing boats, which is doubled compared to last year,” said Adam Lamb of Ludington Yacht Sales and one of the event’s organizers. “One of the highlights of the inaugural event was the Coming Home parade. We had people lining the pier with flags and cheering the veterans on and we would love to see even more people down there this year.”

Rolling Thunder, a veterans advocacy group, will be lining the inner piers with US flags, a US Coast Guard helicopter will conduct a fly-over while the veterans’ boats will be escorted into harbor by the coast guard, Mason County Sheriff’s Office and also the Ludington police/fire harbor patrol.

Free hot dogs are being served at the pavilion located south of the Loomis Street boat ramps, Lamb said. People planning to attend the Coming Home parade are being asked to arrive between 11 to 11:30 a.m. The fishing boats are expected to gather at the mouth of the harbor at 11:50 a.m.

“We heard from many of last year’s participants that the Coming Home parade was one of the best parts of the tournament,” Lamb said. “Many of these people never got a homecoming parade when they returned from their service, especially the veterans who were in Vietnam. This parade just shows how grateful our nation is for their sacrifice and service.”

For more information on Fish On for Freedom, click here.