Posted on 05/16/2004 12:33:15 PM PDT by moodyskeptic
I stood behind the baracade next to a Vietnam Vet, a Marine who was crying between shouts of "God Bless You!", as young soldiers paraded by. Similar shouts of Thank You were heard all around, as the huge crowd clapped for active US military, reserves, WW2 vets, Vietnam vets, medal of honor recipients, flying aces and much more.
He apparently felt this parade was for him, too, and it was. Obviously, the crowd was belatedly thanking all Viet-era vets for their service. When the annnouncer related of the drama of a 'Nam hero riding in a classic Detroit convertible, the audience roared approval.
Here in Southern California beach cities, you can get the lonely feeling that you are the only conservative in town. The popular local culture mimics Hollywood, liberal drivel 24/7. Imagine the joy in attending a giant family-oriented parade honoring our soldiers, in fact, the country's largest and oldest such parade: the Torrance Armed Forces Day Parade.
The Pacific Ocean is a mere two miles down Torrance Blvd. which ends at the Redondo Pier. The temperature is a perfect 70 degrees, the sky a brilliant blue. Thousands of families are lining the 3 mile parade route with camp chairs, picnics, American flags. Smiles and laughter and pride.
A Freeper's dream, all well-behaved patriotic citizens with no screeching liberals or stubborn hippie throwbacks. People patting police on the back. Tatooed teenagers saluting the troops. This is like a huge counter-demonstration to the heavily-covered war protests and gay rights parades. I imagine there are precious few Kerry voters in this throng.
I sidle up to a policeman and ask how's the security? He chuckles and replies, "Look at this crowd, they don't create trouble. Not one fistfight. They even pick up after themselves, there's no trash for the cleanup crews tonight." All the cops are wearing big smiles.
As an Abrams tank stops in the street to swivel on it's turret and raise and lower it's big gunbarrel, the children shriek in delight as Army reserves throw out candies. Suddenly two F-14s roar overhead, just above the treetops. The crowd erupts in cheer and clapping. A family with a dozen friends wear t-shirts emblazoned with a photo of their sibling/friend, a Marine currently in Fallujah.
This seems like a pleasant dream to me. I can't believe the pride I feel in my fellow citizens. I feel as if I stumbled into a parallel universe, one that supports our troops, thanks our vets, loves the flag and raises respectful children. I am stunned.
On further thought, I shouldn't be stunned. This America is here, quietly existing under the media radar, going about it's business and living the dream of freedom... doing what it always does.
God bless America indeed.
God Bless our Troops! Thanks for the great thread. It lifts my spirits to see our hero's!
Also for stirring up many fond memories of the beach cities. I was blessed to reside in Palos Verdes from late 80s to mid 90s.
Thanks for the ping!
Thanks for the ping RonDog...
Great report and good for Torrance for honoring the armed forces this way. Hubby and I have been spending time down there on business and I have fallen in love with the city and the people! I see now that my feelings are justified!
thanks, all of you Freepers, for the ping.
The countdown to Nov. election will be full of liberal vitriol directed at Bush and our military. It will get ugly. The parade proved to me that invisible patriots in SoCal are all around us, and they look identical to the moderates and left. Kids with piercings, tatoos, shaved heads and longhairs, yuppies and blacks and latins and asians and... everybody. They were cheering our troops in direct opposition to popular fashion.
Heartening.
Thanks for the report.
It sounds like a great day! I wish I could have been there, but I was out at Evan's Gun World in Orange for ATF DAY, teaching the Orange County Young Republicans to shoot.
USS Sacramento [and F-14 flyover]
in REDONDO BEACH for MEMORIAL DAY PARADE & TRIBUTE (5/31/04)
Posted by RonDog
On News/Activism 05/19/2004 8:38:16 AM PDT with 16 comments
THE SECOND ANNUAL REDONDO BEACH MEMORIAL DAY PARADE AND TRIBUTE website ^ | May 19, 2004 | Bhagavan Friend, and the Redondo Beach Memorial Day Parade and Tribute Committee
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