'America's Parade' makes Los Angeles debut

From sea to shining sea, “America’s Parade: New York City” brought its 97-year tradition to the West Coast for the first time on Nov. 11.

“We were honored to host on the grounds of the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles (Healthcare System) the very first ‘America’s Parade: Los Angeles,’” said Christine Pons, director of communications for the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. “With our partners, L.A. County and The American Legion, it was a successful event.”

The parade started at the West Los Angeles Veterans Home and participants traveled down Bonsall Ave., through an underpass painted with veteran-themed murals, and finished near the VA hospital. Patients and residents joined community members to watch military vehicles, vintage automobiles, motorcycle clubs, drill teams and performers, marchers, flag carriers and members of nonprofit organizations celebrate Veterans Day together.

The idea for an L.A. Veterans Day parade originated when an American Legion national commander visited the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall and brought the idea to the attention of the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

“So we took on the challenge, working with The American Legion and the United War Veterans Council that runs the New York parade,” said U.S. Navy veteran Stephanie Stone, chief deputy director for the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “We’re all excited to be a part of the veteran community again.”

American Legion National Vice Commander Paul Espinoza attended the parade and said, “Every year I look forward to honoring the veterans on this day. Today, I represent 2.2 million American Legion members and California has the largest veterans population in the United States. It’s an honor to come out here and honor these veterans who fought for us.”

The inaugural celebration started with a reverent wreath laying ceremony at the West Los Angeles National Veterans Cemetery, which included remarks from Mayor Eric Garcetti, Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda, State Assemblyman Richard Bloom, Secretary of California Department of Veterans Affairs Vito Imbasciani and Director of the Los Angeles VA Medical Center Ann Brown. An invocation was provided by Rabbi Barbra Spire, chaplain of the VA medical center, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance lead by retired Air Force veteran Rebecca Adams, a member of the Los Angeles National Cemetery Foundation Committee.

“Here in the heart of Los Angeles where more people have served, not only in recent wars but probably more vets than anywhere in the country, we’re just proud of our service to the city, our commemoration, and the way that we contribute,” Garcetti said. “Los Angeles has helped win wars time and time again, and we’ll always be there to defend the nation. For me personally, I think every Veterans Day brings back all the camaraderie. Anybody who’s ever served knows what it feels like to have your brothers and sisters by your side, to be working as a single team to help this nation be strong and defend it.”

Tommy Lasorda, the parade’s grand marshal, was described as “the heart of the L.A. sports scene who bleeds Dodger blue.” He talked about his time in the military before boarding a vintage fire truck to ride in the parade.

“I served in the Army, I was proud to wear that uniform, I have four brothers who served the United States,” Lasorda said.

The legendary baseball manager missed the 1946 and 1947 seasons when he was a young player because he was serving in the Army. “My father always told us that we should be proud we live in the greatest country in the world. And without a doubt he was right,” Lasorda said. “So today we honor those who gave their lives, we will never forget them. We’ll always remember.”

Pons recognized Lasorda as the parade’s honored guest and grand marshal. “He’s a hero and always has been a hero in the sports industry, and he was gracious enough to honor us with his presence today,” she said.

Immediate past Department of California Commander Van Kuran said it was “absolutely great that we’re recognizing Veterans Day this way. The excitement is coming from the vets. It’s doesn’t matter what service, when they served, where they served, it’s all very positive and that’s great to have. We have veterans from all the services and all eras, and everybody’s upbeat and glad to be together.”

Bloom joked that this was probably the first time he’s been in a 1970’s vintage vehicle like the one he rode in the parade. “To each and every one of you who have served our country, thank you so much for your service protecting our freedom, protecting liberty, and protecting an institution that Mr. Lasorda is here representing that stands for everything that we believe in this country, baseball.” Bloom also described the importance of working veteran’s issues beyond the holiday. “I am so very proud to be working closely with my colleagues at all levels of government, particularly in the state, to ensure that our veterans are being served, and that we as communities are serving the best interest of those who’ve risked their lives for our hard won freedoms,” he said.

Garcetti also talked about supporting veterans beyond the holiday. “While all the attention this week has been on the national election, and national elections are important, we know that serving this country is not something that happens one day a year. And that commemorating our veterans doesn’t just happen two days a year,” Garcetti said. “We know that the real heroes out there are not the ones that are in the White House no matter what party, but the ones that are there fighting our wars, training our men and women, serving day in and day out, and that is why I salute all of you here today. We have one military family now more than ever.”

This is the longest period of time this nation has ever been actively at war, and Garcetti stated that, “we do love it when someone comes up and thanks us for our service and gives a hug or a smile. But what we need to do is something more.”

Pons is part of the effort to work for veterans every day. “This event is very near and dear to my heart, every day that I come to work,” she said. “It brings a tear to my eye to be able to have this mission, to be able to provide this kind of service and this kind of support to our veterans, our nations honored heroes.”

Imbasciani emphasized the importance of caring for the 25,000 veterans per year that come back to California. He served as state surgeon for the California Army National Guard from 2006 to 2014 and as a colonel in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1986 to 2014. “When young men, and increasingly young women, step up to the challenge of embracing and persevering in a military career, it’s really, really important that they see how we respect the veterans that went before them because they will be the veterans of the future,” he said.

At the end of the parade a veterans resource fair was held and food truck vendors, L.A. Rams cheerleaders and Lasorda greeted parade attendees and participants. At one point a group of Boy Scouts approached for a photo with Lasorda and he recited the entire Scout Oath and the Scout Law.

America’s Parade is one token of the respect shown to veterans from New York to Los Angeles. “It’s going to continue on,” Stone said. “We already know we’ve been invited back (to the VA campus) for next year, so that’s going to be exciting. “Ultimately what we want to do is continue to grow and bring the parade out to the general population, bring it to downtown Los Angeles. I’d love to see it come out to Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, where it had been at one point. It would start at Patriotic Hall, march down Figueroa to the Memorial Coliseum (honors World War I and World War II veterans). This would be a wonderful opportunity, not only to have a parade and have a bit of a party recognizing the veterans that have served, to connect our veterans with each other, but also to provide benefits and services.”

"United War Veterans Council was honored to work with our American Legion and Los Angeles partners to connect our efforts in New York with the great work happening on the West Coat," said Dan McSweeney, United War Veterans Council president. "This is the start of an effort to link celebrations of service in cities across the country by 2019, the centennial of Veterans Day. In this way, we'll truly have an America's Parade that reflects our diversity and our strength as a national community of patriots."