Long-time local veteran’s advocate and WW II and Korean War veteran Clancy Lyall died Sunday, March 18th at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital. Lyall, 86, was the original organizer of the county’s annual Veteran’s Day Parade, which is now the largest in the state.
Lyall entered the Army in 1942 and attended Airborne School in 1943. According to Lyall’s website http://www.ww2airborne.net/clancy/index_us.htm his parachuting into Normandy on D Day wasn’t berry smooth; he landed in a tree where he had to be cut down by a friend, Jim Campbell.
After Normandy, Lyall was assigned to E (Easy) Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment assigned to the 101st Airborne Divisionwhich was memorialized in the TV miniseries Band of Brothers in 2001.
Lyall started the Veteran’s Day Parade 37 years ago. It was originally in Lexington Park but was moved to Leonardtown in 1993. Lyall was an active member of VFW Post 2632 in California and was instrumental in getting the facility rebuilt after a disastrous fire.
Tom Warren has been running the parade in Leonardtown for the last several years and worked alongside Lyall for 30 years on the parade. “He was my mentor,” Warren said, adding “He was an all-around good guy.” Warren noted that Lyall was a Master Sergeant and ran the parade like a drill sergeant so that it went off like clockwork.
St. Mary’s County Commissioner Daniel Morris, himself an advocate for veterans, noted Lyall’s passing at Tuesday’s commissioners’ meeting. “He was an American hero,” Morris said.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Brinsfield Funeral Home. Visitation is Friday, March 23 5-6 p.m. at the funeral home, with services at 7 p.m. Interment will be at Evergreen Memorial Gardens in Great Mills on Saturday at 10 a.m.
