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Veterans on minds of many at parade
By Jutta Biggerstaff / Hi-Desert Star
YUCCA VALLEY — The rhythmic drumming of marching bands, the clip-clop of hooves on pavement and short, staccato siren bursts from fire engines were only a few of the sights and sounds afforded parade goers at Tuesday’s Veterans Day parade.
Terry Layton, a resident of Yucca Valley since 1965, said organizers did a good job with this year’s parade.
“This parade is almost better than our Grubstakes Parade,” she said. “It turned out very nice.”
Layton reminisced about parades past and remarked about the importance of observing Veterans Day.
“My husband was in the service for 30 years,” she said. “It gives us a chance to remember our veterans and not just shove them off somewhere.”
Tuesday’s parade marked the ninth year of the Morongo Basin Veterans’ Tribute, and featured 39 entries, including five marching bands. It began with a flyover by an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside.
After the parade, festivities continued with comments from local veterans’ groups, a standing concert by the Marine Corps marching band and a barbecue at the community center.
Veterans Day began in 1918 on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, which was when the Armistice was signed between Germany and the Allied nations at the end of World War I. It was supposed to be the “war to end all wars.”
Tuesday, residents lined the parade route along Twentynine Palms Highway, most sitting on lawn chairs or tailgates, some waving American flags. Many were remembering family members and friends who served in the military, some who died in service to the country.
Maryann Scott was honoring the many veterans in her own family: her husband, who was in the Army during Vietnam, her father, who was in the Air Force, her mother, who was in the Navy, and her grandfather.
Sharon George from Yucca Valley was remembering a young man named Tim Watkins.
“I taught him in school for several years at Calvary Baptist Church school,” she said. “He was killed in Iraq in 2005.”
Greg Liesenfelt, who works on the Marine base as a fire inspector, was celebrating Veterans Day in honor of the Marines he works with, many of whom have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“They’ve lost hundreds,” he said, calling Veterans Day “a day to honor our veterans from our first conflict to the present.”
Patty Frank from Yucca Valley summed up the annual observance of Veterans Day: “We want to honor the people who serve our country so that we can be free, and we want to pass those values on to our children.”
More photos at www.hidesertstar.com/services/photo_gallery
Terry Layton, a resident of Yucca Valley since 1965, said organizers did a good job with this year’s parade.
“This parade is almost better than our Grubstakes Parade,” she said. “It turned out very nice.”
Layton reminisced about parades past and remarked about the importance of observing Veterans Day.
“My husband was in the service for 30 years,” she said. “It gives us a chance to remember our veterans and not just shove them off somewhere.”
Tuesday’s parade marked the ninth year of the Morongo Basin Veterans’ Tribute, and featured 39 entries, including five marching bands. It began with a flyover by an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside.
After the parade, festivities continued with comments from local veterans’ groups, a standing concert by the Marine Corps marching band and a barbecue at the community center.
Veterans Day began in 1918 on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, which was when the Armistice was signed between Germany and the Allied nations at the end of World War I. It was supposed to be the “war to end all wars.”
Tuesday, residents lined the parade route along Twentynine Palms Highway, most sitting on lawn chairs or tailgates, some waving American flags. Many were remembering family members and friends who served in the military, some who died in service to the country.
Maryann Scott was honoring the many veterans in her own family: her husband, who was in the Army during Vietnam, her father, who was in the Air Force, her mother, who was in the Navy, and her grandfather.
Sharon George from Yucca Valley was remembering a young man named Tim Watkins.
“I taught him in school for several years at Calvary Baptist Church school,” she said. “He was killed in Iraq in 2005.”
Greg Liesenfelt, who works on the Marine base as a fire inspector, was celebrating Veterans Day in honor of the Marines he works with, many of whom have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“They’ve lost hundreds,” he said, calling Veterans Day “a day to honor our veterans from our first conflict to the present.”
Patty Frank from Yucca Valley summed up the annual observance of Veterans Day: “We want to honor the people who serve our country so that we can be free, and we want to pass those values on to our children.”
More photos at www.hidesertstar.com/services/photo_gallery
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of hidesertstar.com.
mandybug wrote on Feb 9, 2009 1:00 PM:
" Sylvia was a very loved friend of mine. I was so blessed to know her in the little amount of time she had. I spent a lot of days at her home with her, and she spent many nights sleeping over at my house. I love looking through my pictures of her. She will forever be missed... "
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simplybohemian wrote on Jan 26, 2009 10:09 AM:
Shalow was heavily involved.
I hope Her family will find the peace they deserve. "