Veterans Day in Vancouver 2007

As I started to do my wash Saturday morning at the laundromat that we have in this apartment building WHEN I remembered the Veterans Day Parade happening downtown and ending at Esther Short Park. I hurriedly collected the stuff from the dryers and rushed back to my apartment where I didn't bother to hang anything up. i didn't even know what time it was happening but as I headed downstairs in the elevator, I saw a news clipping on the bulletin board and it said something about starting at 10:40 . . . no time to waste!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I headed for the bus stop but none were in sight so I started running towards the park where it would end. Just two miles from my place! Ü I arrived in plenty of time since the first entry, a color guard, hadn't arrived yet. WHEW!


Reckon I didn't realize how far it is from the parade grounds of the Fort Vancouver Barracks to downtown because we were waiting for a good spell. Finally, the parade marched past us with over 80 entries; two and a half hours later, the parade was over. I was glad i had made it for the entire parade but glad to see the end too as I was tired from standing to salute all the flags that passed by and from clapping for all the entries.

i stood in between two very patriotic groups/families. On my left was a Mom and her three kids, none more than grade school age. I was so proud of that mom telling her kids they needed to put their hand on their heart each time the U.S. flag went past and to clap for all the Veterans Parade entries because they were either VETERANS or they supported our men and women who helped to make/keep our country free. On the right was a mom and junior high school daughter. The daughter kept wanting to leave and go home every time there was a break in the parade (The entrants had to wait for some traffic lights going perpendicular to them>) but that Mom told her "Not until we see the last entry and the truck picking up the barriers." She told me "Because of that stupid WASL testing, the students aren't even learning about the ways men and women have fought for our country in our History. So it was up to her to teach her kids that we need to appreciate our Vets." i smiled big as my heart agreed 100 percent with her.

This is one of our local C-Tran buses --it got painted with the flag decor after 9/11. It carried a load of vets proudly! the message in the front window said it all.