[moodyskeptic]

Sorry for the vanity. I just had to share yesterday's experience with Freepers who could relate.

[SandRat]

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.

Now that's the I America I remember growing up in and it's still there.

Thank you for sharing this.

[border bud]

Sounds like you had a great Armed Forces Parade. Any pictures to post?

[McGavin999]

It's the America the media doesn't know exists. No, you are not living in a parallel universe, you are living in America, the country people want to come to, the REAL DEAL.

[RonDog]

I was there at this year's Armed Forces Day Parade in Torrance, too!

See also, from www.tpd.torrnet.com/paradehistory.htm:

CITY OF TORRANCE
Armed Forces Day Parade Honoring America's Armed Services

Over the past 43 years, the City of Torrance has proudly honored the men and women of the United States military in an annual Armed Forces Day Parade and celebration.

This rich tradition began in 1960 when former Mayor Al Isen, with the help of the Torrance Chamber of Commerce, organized the first parade as a tribute to friends and fellow Americans who had served in the Armed Forces. The parade has since grown over the years to become one of America’s most eagerly awaited demonstrations of patriotism and the love of our country. The Torrance Armed Forces Day Parade has the distinction of being the longest-running military parade sponsored by any city in the nation.

The Armed Forces Day Parade has drawn up to 100,000 spectators a year to watch as many as 8,000 parade participants march along the two-mile parade route from downtown Torrance to Torrance City Hall. In the early days, the celebration began on a Friday evening with a display of military exhibits coupled with a large fireworks show behind City Hall. The parade began on Saturday morning and was followed by a day-long display of military hardware and parade floats, all open for public view.

Throughout the history of the parade, each year the City of Torrance has focused recognition on a separate branch of the military by designating it as the "honored service" during the celebration. One dedicated American from the "honored service" - the United States Army, Navy, Air-Force, Marines, or Coast Guard - is invited to act as the Grand Marshal of this momentous event.

The Torrance Armed Forces Day Parade has a rich history of recognizing military war heroes, such as U.S. General of the Army Omar N. Bradley in 1969, as the Honorary Grand Marshal. Five Star General of the Army Omar Bradley was, at the time, the highest-ranking service member in the nation. General Bradley commanded the largest American military body ever to serve under one field commander; a force of more than 1,300,000 troops, during the European campaign in World War II.

The City of Torrance is one of very few cities in the nation that have been designated by the U.S. Department of Defense as hosts of an Armed Forces Day celebration. This may be because Torrance has upheld the parade as a military event, with participation from all five branches of service.


Parade Photos 2002


Parade Photos 2001

[larryjohnson]

30 years in Manhattan Beach, I took my kids to this parade. I served at Los Angeles AFS. Thanks for the observations. Now I doze off again in Maine.

[maxwellp]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us! I particularly liked the part about this part of America being under the media radar.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

That is a great story. God bless our troops, our Vets and all of those who make sure to say thank you to our heroes.. all of them.

[norton]

I hate to admit that I didn't even know it was Armed Forces day [or close to it]. Says something about the nature of conservatism in the left coast/beach cities.

And, thanks..."Suddenly two F-14s roar overhead, just above the treetops..." explains what I thought might be an intercept over Long Beach.

[Regulator]

Thanks for posting this. I live in Santa Cruz, and about all they probably had downtown was a demonstration against Bush or the war or Tibet or whatever...But there were a lot of flags hanging out of windows and decks...the leftists might sense being a little more surrounded than they think!

[Trteamer]

God Bless our Troops! Thanks for the great thread. It lifts my spirits to see our hero's!

[JulieRNR21]

Thanks for your eloquent account of the patriotic Torrance parade.

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.

[ladyinred]

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!

[gc4nra]

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.