On Monday, the ceremony and parade for Veterans Day in San Jose got off to a wet start, but that didn’t stop the fun.
The Veterans Day parade in San Jose has been going on for more than one hundred years and is the biggest in Northern California. It is put on by the Silicon Valley chapter of the Military Officers Association of America to honor the men and women who serve.
He and his brother Ray fought in Vietnam, and every Veterans Day they come here. Joe Ortiz, a Vietnam veteran, said, “Rain or shine, I always enjoy the pageantry and just being here to remember my brothers and cousins who served.”
San Jose police and fire departments, as well as many other veteran-supporting groups and non-profits, took part in the parade. Monica Flores, a member of the U.S. Army, said they do feel that support.
“Every service member is honored in the parade, no matter what campaign they served in, and that’s a great thing about this community,” she said. There was a gathering with local leaders before the parade. They talked about how the parade almost didn’t happen.
Just six weeks ago, there were doubts about how to pay for the event. But the Silicon Valley chapter of the Military Officers Association of America stepped in and found new sponsors, so the 106th annual parade could go on.
People who went to Monday’s event told NBC Bay Area that they wouldn’t miss the chance to say thank you, even though there weren’t as many people there because of the weather.
