Police and chamber officials blame the leader of the American Legion color guard, Jack Schmidt. Schmidt blames the police escort.

Schmidt said that for the past two years, he has asked that the police escort stay 100 yards in front of the color guard out of respect for the veterans.

This year, when Pequot Lakes Police Officer Rich Hogan didn't take his motorcycle that far ahead of the color guard, the color guard stopped marching.

Eventually, an event coordinator led the parade on a four-wheeler, followed by Hogan on the police department's Harley-Davidson, and then area color guards.

Schmidt said he requested the 100-yard distance several times and to several different people long before the July 4 parade.

"We asked in good faith, and as the American Legion, I think we deserve 100 yards," he said, noting there is no official rule regarding parade distances.

"Sometimes there was 200 yards ahead of us. It was just a fiasco," he said of the parade.

He said the request had nothing to do with issues with the police department, but rather for respect for veterans.

Hogan, the police escort, said he and Schmidt had words before the parade started. He said 100 yards was too far between him and the color guard. So when the parade started, he would stop for the color guard to get closer, but instead the veterans would stop moving.

He said the color guard was far behind the four-wheeler and police escort for the whole parade.

"I was so embarrassed for our town," Hogan said.

Sue Galligan, Pequot Lakes area coordinator for the Brainerd Lakes Chamber, which sponsors the parade, said the chamber did what the Legion requested. That included not having sirens going and not having the announcer list the police escort as the start of the parade.

"So we held up our end of what was requested," Galligan said.

The reason to have a police escort lead the parade is for safety, she said, and to let spectators know the parade is starting.

Chamber officials believed if the police escort was too far ahead of the color guard, people would start wandering into the street.

"This is an event for 8,000-plus people. It's in honor of being an American and the U.S. flag and what we've all gone through," Galligan said. "And it's not a time or place to get on your soapbox and make a statement."

Schmidt said the color guard marching by was a signal the parade had started, and safety wasn't compromised with the police escort 100 yards ahead. He cited the Nisswa parade, which had no police escort in front of the color guard.

Pequot Lakes police chief Jerry Braam said the police department isn't looking for glory by leading the parade. Rather, the department is looking for the parade to be safe and for people to be in attention for the flag.

"This parade is not for the color guard and it's not for the police department," Braam said. "It's for the spectators and the wide-eyed little kids who come to watch."

A chamber committee planned to meet to talk about possible changes to next year's parade.