November 14, 2008

Young people carried the posters of veterans whose memories have been recorded as “Stories of Service” to retain the oral history of military service.

Honoring our veterans

San Jose hosts celebratory parade

By Bill Highlander
Editor

On Nov. 11, all across the country, people watched parades and participated in ceremonies to honor all veterans of American wars.

And nowhere but in San Jose is the parade the largest and oldest celebration. San Jose’s first parade was held on Nov. 11, 1919, ninety years ago. Once Called Armistice Day, the celebration signifies the end of World War I in 1918 and is commemorated on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month each year.

On June 1, 1954 Congress made it Veterans Day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Clowns from the Shriners amused children watching the parade.

In American history, tens of millions have served in the military and hundreds of thousands have made the ultimate sacrifice. Veterans Day is a tribute to the men and women who have served the Nation, wearing the uniform of its armed forces.

The Grand Marshall for the Veterans Day parade 2008 was Major General William Wade II of the California National Guard. A distinguished group of military personnel and public officials were on the reviewing platform to recognize the service of veterans and later rode in the parade to the applause of the thousands of spectators along the parade route.

Marching bands, veterans groups, Scouts, and ROTC units comprised the parade units.

Evergreen was admirably represented with a Brownie troop, the Navy JROTC unit of Silver Creek High School, and the Marine JROTC init of Mt. Pleasant High School.