It was one for the record books, 103 degrees in Oak Lawn in mid-afternoon, although the official temperature reading was O’Hare International Airport at 102.

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The excessive heart warning in effect through Friday didn’t stop hundreds of Oak Lawn residents from coming out and enjoying the village’s Fourth of July Parade that started at 10 a.m.

Hometown hero Marine LCpl. Joe Harr who’s just returned from the war in Afghanistan, was the grand marshal as dozens of floats, organizations, businesses, churches and stilt walkers followed him in a parade that lasted just shy of an hour.

The Marist High School Marching Band and the Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School Band crushed it on the patriotic numbers. Water bottles were the most popular item thrown off the floats after the candy.

After the parade, residents followed the Oak Lawn firefighters’ float to Lake Shore Park for the second annual rubber ducky contest down Oak Lawn Lake and the free all-you-could-eat sno-cones.

By noon, everyone was ready to go home and enjoy the air-conditioning.

Happy birthday, America, here's wishing you many more to come.

(Many thanks to Chief George Sheets and Oak Lawn Fire and Rescue for their assistance when I was about to keel over from the heat.)

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CORRECTION: Straight from the 'I'm an idiot department,' Patch misidentified the Marist High School Girls' Softball 2012 State Champions. I must have missed the big sign in the photo that said "Softball Champions." Patch regrets the error.