Note: This brief uses a first-hand account e-mailed in by Terri Fletcher, an announcer for Kirkland’s July 4 parade.

This has to be the best story of Kirkland’s Fourth of July festivities: Admiral Horton Smith, who was supposed to ride with the submarine veterans in the Kirkland parade, was running late. So when he arrived into town on 85th Street, he found the road closed off.

A police officer manning the barrier asked Smith who he was and where he was trying to go. His reply impressed the officer: Smith happens to be a retired Rear Admiral from the US Navy and also a judge. The officer assumed Smith meant a judge for the parade, so he took him by police escort to the parade’s grandstand.

Of course those on the grandstand had no idea who Smith, or his wife, were. The people in the parade were equally confused. Grape Choice owner Penny Sweet, one of the architects of Kirkland’s July 4 festivities, said no one could quite figure out who this VIP was — Why was he getting a police escort through the parade route?

When the escort had worked its way down to the grandstand, the Admiral and his wife, Lei-llah, just came up and sat down. They looked very important, just like they knew what they were doing.

So in a break from announcing the parade, I asked him how he got on the grandstand. Smith described his conversation with the police officer and repeated his titles.

It worked out great, actually. I had him do the announcing for the submarine vets, who were noticeably surprised to see him on the grandstand.

A little more background on Smith: He met his wife while stationed in Pearl Harbor. She comes from Hawaiian royalty, and they are a couple of sweethearts. Did I mention that Admiral Smith is also a retired Superior Court Judge?