The Pleasanton-based Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6298 and American Legion Post 237 will host the 2012 Tri-Valley Veterans Day Parade on Sunday, Nov. 4, exactly one week ahead of the day the country will celebrate Veterans Day this year.

The downtown Pleasanton parade is often held ahead of the actual holiday to give those who have to work that day or may be participating in other Veterans Day events a chance to march in the parade or cheer from Main Street sidewalks along the way.

The annual event will feature military and veteran color guards, marching bands, horses, jeeps, Humvees and other military vehicles, and other patriotic units.

New features to this year's parade include flyovers by a Vietnam era Huey helicopter, a Coast Guard helicopter.

The theme of this year's parade is "Purple Hearts, Honoring Those Wounded in the Service of Our Country."

The parade Grand Marshall will be Retired Sergeant Victor Thibeault, who served in Afghanistan, was awarded both a Silver Star and a Purple Heart, and is a member of the Army's Wounded Warrior program.

The parade review officer and keynote speaker will be Navy Capt. William Waters (Ret).

Immediately following, the veterans groups will host a Veterans Day ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Building at 301 Main St. with a guest speaker and patriotic music provided by the Pleasanton Community Band.

This year, the U.S. Marines and members of the P-Town Pushrods car club will collect Toys for Tots before, during and after the parade along the parade route, at the review stand in front of the Museum on Main and at the Veterans Memorial Building. Donors are asked to give only new, boxed toys as their contributions.


The parade will start at 1 p.m. Nov. 4, with the parade route starting at the Veterans Building on Old Bernal Road and continuing north to St. Mary Street.

For more information, call David Ham at (925) 580-6661.

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