"The day was celebrated with the state's longest parade ever"**Update--no pics/video, real life and equipment failures have intervened.
Channel 2 said
next year's parade would be even larger (Dolly Parton, Alabama and the Oak Ridge Boys have committed to performing at the event):
"It makes me proud that we have come together as a nation honoring our veterans and not treating them like we were treated after Viet Nam," said Kenneth Classen. He was one of the hundreds, perhaps thousands, who attended the first Parade of Honor.
September 15th was designated by Governor Bill Ritter as a day to honor law enforcement officers, firefighters and veterans. The day was celebrated with the state's longest parade ever. Parade organizer Frank Young, of the Trinity Community Services Foundation, said the parade was a success.
"These people put their lives on the line every day of the year, and we need to respect them and honor them," said Young.
A hundred law enforcement and fire fighter agencies participated in the parade plus various civic organizations and high school bands.
And yes,
local impeachment moonbats made an appearance, hijacking a non-partisan parade of honor to further their own agendas:
John H. Kennedy, a political activist, took the opportunity to spread a message condemning the war in Iraq.
Dressed in a baseball cap with the message "Impeach Cheney," Kennedy held a sign saying "(Weapons of Mass Destruction) lies are impeachable."
"Our job is to get people's attention and at least make them think about this," Kennedy, a member of the Impeachment Coalition of Colorado, said.
Concensus? A good parade with a great purpose--just needs more publicity, but not too bad for a first showing:
The audience for the event was small, with marchers outnumbering viewers by a large margin. But those who attended were enthusiastic.
"It is completely extraordinary," said James Clarke, a London resident here on vacation.
There is nothing quite like the parade in London, he said. "It is so full of variety and life," said Clarke, a composer.
. . .
The sparse turnout didn't bother some marchers. "For a first year it was pretty good," said Lisa Wood, the mother-in-law of an active duty sailor who rode her motorcycle with the Patriot Guard Riders, a group that guards military funerals from protesters.
Labels: law enforcement, lee greenwood, marching band, parade, parade of honor, veterans
