Veterans events planned around the county

Marching soldiers, floats, color guards and marching bands will all be part of Yuma's annual Veterans Day Parade, sponsored by American Legion Post 19.

The parade, which has been put on for more than 50 years, honors men and women who have served or are serving in the U.S. military.

“We want to honor and remember our veterans. They put their lives on the line for our country,” said parade chairman Pat Patterson. “Veterans are bearing the cost of our freedom without asking for anything in return.”

Although Veterans Day, Nov. 11, falls on Sunday, Patterson says Post 19 in Yuma will observe the holiday Monday and will stage the parade that day.

This year's parade theme is “American Veterans Remembering the Cost.” It was suggested by a young Marine from the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma's Public Affairs Office, according to Patterson.

More than 80 entries are expected for the parade, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at 4th Avenue and 17th Place. The parade will then go south on 4th Avenue to 25th Street, turn east, then south on Virginia Drive and end at the H.H. Donkersley Post 19.

Serving as co-grand marshals will be Col. Reed Young, commanding officer of Yuma Proving Ground, and MCAS Yuma commander, Col. Robert Kuckuk.

“They are both honored men who work well together and both agreed to do this,” Patterson said.

After the parade, there will be an eleventh hour ceremony, commemorating Nov. 11, 1918, the time and day when World War I came to an end.

“It's to remember why Veterans Day was started,” Patterson said.

To commemorate the ending of World War I, an “unknown soldier” was buried in the Westminster Abbey in England and the Arc de Triomphe in France. These ceremonies took place on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This day became known internationally as Armistice Day. However, in 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming Nov. 11 as Veterans Day.

A barbecue lunch will follow with barbecue beef, beans, coleslaw, tortilla and salsa. Cost is $7.50 per adult, and $4 for children under 12. There will be live music by Borrowed Time from 12:30 to 5 p.m., and the public is invited to attend.

Unlike Memorial Day, which is set aside to honor America's war dead, Veterans Day honors all American veterans, both living and dead, as a way to thank them for their dedicated and loyal service to their country.

Other ceremonies taking place around the county include a Veterans Appreciation Day at Faith Baptist Church, 1798 Arizona Ave., on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Wellton Veterans Day Parade, now in its 10th year, is put on by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6790. It begins at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Westside Park and ends at the post. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be served afterwards.

There will also be a flag-raising ceremony at noon at VFW Post 8242 by the Rough Riders motorcycle club, with chili dogs and chips to follow. The post is located at Highway 95 at milepost 36. For more information, call 341-1522.

Texas Roadhouse is offering veterans and active-duty military a free dine-in lunch Monday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Although it is past the registration deadline, Patterson said entries for Yuma's parade will be accepted up to the start of the parade. All late entries, however, will be placed at the end of the parade lineup.