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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

VIDEO REPORT: Ex-Hippie's Memorial Day Parade a smash!
			Posted by daviddennis On News/Activism 05/30/2003 8:57:43 PM PDT with 7 comments amazing.com (my web site) ^ \| 05/31/2003 \| David H Dennis