DENVER -- Denver's St. Patrick's Day Parade will have one fewer group marching in it this year.

The First Marine Division opted not to be in the parade after it was moved back nearly 50 spots in the parade lineup.

"We just felt that we kind of got slapped in the face," said Sgt. Max Brown from the First Marine Division.

The honorary group that usually leads the parade was cut down this year. The president of the parade committee said politics influenced the committee to put a limit on the group.

"The parade committee has been bombarded with too much politics and too many people trying to influence who gets to go first and who gets to be in the honorary division," said parade president Larry Lawler.

The First Marine Division was lined up right after a group of llamas. The parade committee has since changed that and put them a couple of spots up. Members of the Marine Division said putting them this far back will be physically challenging for them.

"Even when we were in the front, we stood around for almost three hours before the parade got under way," said Brown.

Lawler met with the 1st Marine Division Association on Thursday and offered them teh 24th spot from the front of the parade. Lawler says that is one spot closer than the group had last year.

Lawler says the 1st Marine Division Association turned down the offer because this does not place them in the honorary division.

So Saturday, the 1st Marine Division will not be marching in the St Patrick’s Day Parade.