2008 Woodie Awards
Honoring Our Heroes
Valley residents showed up in large numbers to celebrate Veterans Day at San Fernando Valley parade.
Marc Howard
Issue date: 11/16/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Thousands of people lined the Laurel Canyon Boulevard parade route of the 2nd annual San Fernando Valley Veterans Day parade in Mission Hills this past Friday.
Air Force fighter jets flew overhead in formation at the outset of the parade, which featured over 100 entries including four high school marching bands and JROTC color guard outfits, 2 equestrian teams, and floats carrying veterans of every war America has fought in from WWII to the Iraq war. Parade attendees waved miniature American flags, clapped and cheered as the floats passed.
"Such a high percentage of veterans and men and women in combat are from the Valley, we thought it was a shame that people from here had to go all the way to Long Beach to celebrate Veterans day," said Congressman Howard Berman, who organized the event along with Councilman Alex Padilla. "It went so well last year that we decided to make it an annual event."
"I'm glad they started doing this," said Auggie Reyes who served as a rifleman in Okinawa Japan during WWII. Reyes was a part of the parade, riding in his green 1927 Ford. "It's good to know that people think of us and appreciate what we did."
Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day and was a celebration of the signing of the truce on Nov. 11, 1918 that brought WWI to a close. By 1954 there were many war veterans who had no direct association with the First World War, and many Americans began calling Armistice Day Veterans Day. Congress officially changed the name on May 24 of that year.
Veterans day holds special significance for Parade attendees Steve and Pam Folden of Panorama City. They are both children of WWII combat veterans and Steve himself served in the armed forces during Vietnam. Steve does not approve of the Iraq war but stresses that it's important that we appreciate what the troops are doing. "You've got to support the kids who are over there fighting. They didn't choose this war. They've got a job to do and they're just doing what they have to do."
Air Force fighter jets flew overhead in formation at the outset of the parade, which featured over 100 entries including four high school marching bands and JROTC color guard outfits, 2 equestrian teams, and floats carrying veterans of every war America has fought in from WWII to the Iraq war. Parade attendees waved miniature American flags, clapped and cheered as the floats passed.
"Such a high percentage of veterans and men and women in combat are from the Valley, we thought it was a shame that people from here had to go all the way to Long Beach to celebrate Veterans day," said Congressman Howard Berman, who organized the event along with Councilman Alex Padilla. "It went so well last year that we decided to make it an annual event."
"I'm glad they started doing this," said Auggie Reyes who served as a rifleman in Okinawa Japan during WWII. Reyes was a part of the parade, riding in his green 1927 Ford. "It's good to know that people think of us and appreciate what we did."
Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day and was a celebration of the signing of the truce on Nov. 11, 1918 that brought WWI to a close. By 1954 there were many war veterans who had no direct association with the First World War, and many Americans began calling Armistice Day Veterans Day. Congress officially changed the name on May 24 of that year.
Veterans day holds special significance for Parade attendees Steve and Pam Folden of Panorama City. They are both children of WWII combat veterans and Steve himself served in the armed forces during Vietnam. Steve does not approve of the Iraq war but stresses that it's important that we appreciate what the troops are doing. "You've got to support the kids who are over there fighting. They didn't choose this war. They've got a job to do and they're just doing what they have to do."
