By DOUG WILSON

Herald-Whig Senior Writer

A veterans parade will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in downtown Quincy and many of the parade entries will participate in a 1 p.m. parade around the Illinois Veterans Home grounds.

Dick McKinney, one of the co-chairmen of the parade, said the biggest entry in the parade won't be next to the floats, formations and marching bands.

"We worked about 10 months to get a C-130 Hercules to do a fly-over," McKinney said.

The massive, four-engine transport and cargo plane is coming from the 182nd Wing of the Air National Guard in Peoria. It will be an awesome sight flying at about 1,000 feet above the parade, McKinney said.

The downtown parade route will start at 12th and Maine and proceed to Fifth and Maine.

Those who turn out for the parade also are being asked to donate items for shipment to service men and women serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Sam Franklin of the Vacuum Clinic, said his business and Great Debate Books, both near Sixth and Maine, will be collecting items.

"I'm a veteran myself and (the parade) is appreciated," Franklin said.

This is the second year for Quincy's Veterans Day parade after a lapse of about 35 years. McKinney and co-chairman Jim Ponsot coordinated last year's parade to show appreciation for the service and sacrifices of veterans.

"We know some of the residents of the Veterans Home won't be able to attend, so we're going to take the parade through the home at 1 p.m.," McKinney said.

More than 60 entries had signed up for the parade by Monday.

-- dwilson@whig.com/221-3372