World War II nurse leads Missouri bicentennial parade

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – A crowd gathered Saturday in Jefferson City to celebrate the state’s bicentennial, with a World War II nurse leading the parade.

KTVO reports that Edith Harrington waved to the crowd from a military jeep, followed by about 100 entries that highlighted the history of the Show-Me state.

The 98-year-old joined the United States Cadet Nurse Corps in 1943.

The festivities also marked the election of state officeholders in 2020, whose traditional inauguration events were delayed because of the coronavirus.