‘This parade is about memories’

California Legionnaires have strong presence in Fairfield’s annual Veterans Day parade. 

Veterans and non-veterans alike lined the streets of downtown Fairfield, Calif., for the city’s annual Veterans Day Parade. The parade, which featured 49 units that included schools, local groups and organizations, featured Past American Legion Department of California Commander John Aldridge, a U.S. Air Force retiree and member of American Legion Post 306 in Yountville.

“This is a very proud moment for The American Legion,” said Aldridge, who has been a member of the organization for more than 40 years. “It shows our involvement in the community, our participation, and I think the members of The American Legion and those who are not members of The American Legion will be impressed. I think they will want to be a part of an organization that advocates on behalf of veterans and our local military here.”

American Legion Family members from multiple posts were on hand, including those from Liberty Post 316 in Fairfield, which Aldridge helped charter.

“To see (the parade) every year come out here and be celebrated, it matters,” Post 316 Commander Michael Dorsey said. “What this country believes in matters. And the people who served matter. This (parade) means something for all of us.”

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For Dorsey, who served eight years in the U.S. Navy and 13 in the Air Force, Veterans Day is a reminder of how he feels about his military service. “As a veteran who served in two different branches of the United States military, it’s exciting, because it meant a lot to me,” he said. “I met my wife through the military. I traveled the world. And I’ve seen that we’re all alike. We love our family. We love our communities. And we just want peace.”

Aldridge was the guest speaker at a Commemoration Ceremony & Concert at the Downtown Theatre that was hosted by Travis Air Force Base and conducted by American Legion Reams Post 182 in nearby Suisun City. The Veterans Day parade, whose theme was “Forever Grateful”, immediately followed the indoor event.

“Everybody likes a parade. And it’s not just children who enjoy a parade. It’s adults. Especially this parade,” Post 182 Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Segala said. “This parade is about memories. We get to be with one another again. Meeting other members from other services, and hearing stories about Vietnam, Afghanistan … it’s about realizing there’s a brotherhood.”