The community turned out to celebrate military veterans in downtown Pleasanton last Sunday at the 26th annual Tri-Valley Veterans Day Parade and Band Concert.

Audience members, many dressed in stars and stripes, lined the Main Street sidewalk to view the procession featuring about 70 groups, including local veterans, organizations and elected officials. Some celebrated from cars with the honking of horns, while others marched the length of Main and waved to spectators. Among those involved were the four parade grand marshals: World War II-era veterans Ray Bolger and Don Crocker, and Korean War veterans Hank Ottaviano and John Johnson.

The annual event was organized and hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6298, American Legion Post 237 and the city of Pleasanton to honor all those who serve or have served the nation in the armed forces, according to officials. The celebration was held the weekend before Veterans Day to attract the greatest number of event participants and audience members possible.

"This really is community building because it's about that cooperative spirit to come together and thank people that have made such tremendous contributions to our community and to our nation," Livermore Mayor John Marchand said.

Following the parade, the Pleasanton Community Concert Band attracted a crowd of listeners outside the Veterans Memorial Building. Here Bob Williams, himself an Army veteran, led the group's patriotic music performance for the last show of his career as conductor.