The Veterans Parade Committee, made of up local residents including representatives of Veterans groups, welcome volunteers who are interested in working on an event to "Salute Those Who Serve(d)!" Meetings are held at Houghton Park on the last Tuesday of the month. Check the calendar for exact date.
The 2009 Long Beach Veterans Day Parade promises to be better than ever. From the Grand Marshal to our line of march, there will be something for everyone. Make sure you mark your calendars for Saturday, November 7, 2009 as the City of Long Beach plays host to Southern California's best known Veterans Day Parade.
The 12th Annual Veterans Day Parade in North Long Beach came to a booming start as a C-17 flew over the parade route along Atlantic Avenue on Saturday, Nov. 8. The anxious crowd of nearly 3,000 cheered as the giant Boeing Globemaster thundered overhead, followed closely by a four-man formation flyover.
More than 150 entries paraded down Atlantic Avenue, looping around at 56th Street, ending the hour-long procession at Houghton Park. Some of those entries included war veterans riding in military vehicles, a vintage fire engine, prancing horses, school drill teams, marching bands, city dignitaries and local organizations, to name a few. A group of Freedom Walkers concluded the parade.
In one of the two photos included in this story are of Jim and Maya Foltz and their two young sons, Parker and Spencer, who are showing off the NLBCentral.com banner. Jim grew up in North Long Beach off 56th Street. Maya was gracious enough to drive her beautifully restored 1954 Chevy, which was among a handful of classic cars driving in the parade, to help the Long Beach Collaborative promote its community online resource Web site. In the other photo are the Morningside High School Army JROTC Monarchs from Inglewood, a proud example of our country's future generation of military servicemen and women. (Click on photos for larger view.)
After the parade, the crowd headed over to Houghton Park for the Ceremony Honoring Veterans. Speakers included Vice Mayor Val Lerch (9th District), Grand Marshals Col. Anita Eigner Latin and Army Lt. Col. John Kanaley, who is a sergeant with the Long Beach Police Department, and honorary grand marshals Paralympics Champion Angela Madsen, and Long Beach businessman John Morris. California Lt. Gov. John Garamendi also spoke during the ceremony. Lively renditions of Civil War music were presented by the Band of the California Battalion at the start of the ceremony.
"We have again succeeded in honoring our veterans in a
celebration that was enjoyed by all. The Freedom Walk was extremely well
received as a way for individuals to join in the tribute," said Martha Thuente, Chair of the Veterans Day Parade Committee. "However, we
cannot rest on our laurels until next parade day. We must keep our
servicemen and women in our thoughts and prayers everyday," she said.
