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More than 5,000 spectators lined the sidewalks along Main Street in Pleasanton Sunday for the 2012 Tri-Valley Veterans Day Parade and a patriotic program of music and messages that followed at the Veterans Memorial Building.

The 16th annual event was sponsored by the Pleasanton-based Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6298 and American Legion Post 237 and the city of Pleasanton. It’s now the largest event of its kind in the Bay Area.

The parade and ceremony were held exactly one week ahead of the day the country will celebrate Veterans Day this year, a tradition for the Pleasanton observance so that veterans can join in other celebrations on Nov. 11.

This year’s event featured military and veteran color guards, marching bands, horses, jeeps, Humvees and other military vehicles. Marching along the way also will be Girl Scout and Boy Scout organizations, Scottish pipe and drum units, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Posse, elected officials from Tri-Valley cities and veterans from Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, Korea and even World War II.

The U.S. Army Band and the Foothill High School marching band played patriotic music as they marched in the parade.

New to this year’s parade were three flyovers, the first by two T-38 jet fighter planes, followed 15 minutes later by a Vietnam era Huey helicopter and then a Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter.

The theme of this year’s parade was “Purple Hearts, Honoring Those Wounded in the Service of Our Country.” Special tribute was given to Gold Star families who were in the parade and then introduced and applauded at the ceremony in the Veterans Memorial Building. Several wore shirts with an image of their late son’s face on them.

Retired Army Sgt. Victor Thibeault served as the parade Grand Marshall. He 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 was Navy Capt. William Waters (Ret).

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32 Comments

  1. Why are Star Troopers in the Veterans Day Parade? They are not real and not Veterans. This is almost embarrassing. Also why do flags from other countries fly in an American Veterans day Parade. There were Scottish, Canadian, Mexican and probably a few more.

  3. Jeb Bing, this is the best you chose to do? Picture of tattooed Mrs. N. California, politicians, a far away picture of the USMC presenting colors with the other Veterans on stage invisible behind flags? This is how you honor our Veterans of the last 100 years of wars? You show up at meetings and this is the best you give the Veterans and their families and our communities? Seriously? Well, seems to be the continuous theme of this entire day in the decline of America.

  4. WHY WAS A CARTOON THEME, STAR WARS, MOVIE SOUNDTRACK PLACED IN FRONT OF THE HARD-WORKING TIRELESS VETERAN FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP “PLEASANTON MILITARY FAMILIES”? WITH NO MENTION OF THEM AND ALL THEIR VETERAN WORK THEY DO FOR THE COMMUNITY AND OUR CHILDREN AND SPOUSES?! THEY ARE THE MAINSTREAM PROTOTYPE FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE?! WHERE IS A PICTURE OF CAPT. WM. PETERS WHO FLEW OUT HERE ON HIS OWN DIME WITH A CV OF MILITARY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE LONGER THAN YOUR ARMS? WHERE ARE PICTURES OF THE BRAVE MILITARY PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS WHO WERE ON STAGE? USMC WHO GAVE A TREMENDOUS SPEECH OR RET. ARMY SGT. VICTOR THIBEAULT SILVER STAR AND T-W-O PURPLE HEART MEDALS??!! WHY DID YOU EVEN BOTHER “COVERING” THIS AUSPICIOUS REVERED EVENT? YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!!

  5. No picture of Gold Star Families? After their children’s sacrifices? WHY? Where are the other Patriots who should be outraged at this so-called Veterans’ coverage?

  8. Snapshot Sis, Thanks sweetheart, for posting link!
    SEMPER PARATUS, SEMPER FI.
    love you God bless, from your Coastie PMF Sister in Christ Jesus

  9. Snapshot…..

    My husband, who is a veteran of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam and Dessert Storm, was in the parade riding his motorcycle with the Warriors Watch.

    We watched the slide show of all of the wonderful pictures and music that you put together for the event. Thank you so much for all of your work in making such a nice presentation of the Veteran’s Parade. It was just great and you did a fantastic job.

    Thank you so much.

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