THE PETALUMA POST 20 • NOVEMBER 2014 PETALUMAPOST.COM VETERANS DAY Veterans Day Parade Even Bigger Again This Year by Steve Kemmerle - Parade Organizer and Sonoma County Veteran tof the Year 2014 beginning and ending at nce again, Parade. Sonoma CounCanine Companions for Walnut Park. There are at least 50 ty has stepped Independence have entered up. The Parade this year. They have over m i l i t a r y re l a t e d g ro u p s will be the biggest parade 100 veterans using their dogs entered. Overhead will be the yet! Here are some of the high to assist them. Paw4Purple- Huey helicopter, Bay Bomber lights: Hearts (Bergin University) Squadron and hopefully a Four WWII veterans are also are entered. They train Chinook and a Blackhawk, Grand Marshals: Clint Grove, veterans on how to use dogs plus other aircraft. Don’t forget the Native 96, Navy in the Pacific; to help them in their lives. Charles Matteri, Army in Once again, the Corvettes Americans. There should Alaska; Frank Castellucci, will be back. Twenty or be 50+ Native American Army in Normandy and more Corvettes will carry veterans, a hand car ved Europe; and Louis Raffi, pilots, Rosy the Riveter, and Redwood Canoe, dancers and a Medicine Man. Navy in the Pacifc. Calendar Girls. Area 1 Commander Julius Forcucci, WWI Five bands will be Veteran started the Parade performing on the parade Mike Hughes will represent as we know it in 1986. See r o u t e : Pe t a l u m a H i g h State Commander Janet petalumaveteransparade. School, Casa Grande High Wilson. The Buffalo Soldier com. His family will be in the School, Petaluma Jr. High parade as the Julius Forcucci School, the Shriners of Motorcycle Club will join Family Float. Santa Rosa, and the Travis with three other clubs. The U.S. Coast Guard Air Force Band of the West Among the military vehicles p l a n s t o e n t e r a l a r g e Rock Band. Yountville's will be a M41 Walker Bulldog contingent. Our own 235th Hills Angels Drill Team will tank. Sonoma County Transit Engineer Sappers National perform. Guard hope to have three The parade will begin at is entering a Transit bus Humvees and 20-30 troops. 1pm and follow the traditional carrying Military Order of Mike Thompson and Petaluma parade route along the Purple Heart veterans. Jared Huffman, House of Fourth Street, Kentucky Starting in 2015, Sonoma Representatives, plan to Street , Washington Street buses will offer free rides attend and speak after the and Petaluma Boulevard, to Veterans and College Students. At the end of the Parade will be a BIG SURPRISE. Don't forget the 30-minute program in Walnut Park at the Gazebo. It will start about 2:45 PM. Peter Lomardi, Julius Forcucci's grandson will handle the sound system -- as he has done at every Parade since 1987. Between Noon and 1 PM, Robins Band Trio will entertain. Bergin University's Steve Moore, dog trainer, will speak. Keynote speaker w i l l b e C a p t a i n Fo s s e , Commander of the Two Rock Coast Guard Station. Andrea Krout, David Rabbit's Administrative Assistant and Colonel Jack Krout's Grand daughter, will sing the National Anthem and God Bless America. O [email protected] Photo by Pete Steeltower Veterans Day Parade & Vintage War Birds Fly-Over Tuesday, November 11, in downtown Petaluma (From Walnut Park along 4th & Kentucky Streets, down Washington Street and back along Petaluma Boulevard to Walnut Park) For more information, petalumaveteransflyin.com M-41 Walker Bulldog Tank