Veterans Day Parade 2008
Two San Diego County CAP Squadrons March in the San Diego Veterans Day Parade on 11 November 2008
Each year the Veterans Community of San Diego organizes the annual Veterans Day Parade featuring many veteran groups marching in the parade, along with local active duty units, high school bands, both JROTC and ROTC, and city emergency services units. This year’s Veterans Day parade turned out to be a “Two for One” with members of the Skyhawk Composite Squadron 47 from Oceanside joining our Civil Air Patrol (CAP) contingent expanding our numbers to 32 in the parade.
Everyone assembled on the north side of the San Diego County Admin building located on Harbor Drive at 1000 hours, 11 November 2008. The Project Officer, Capt David Saavedra welcomed everyone and conducted a safety brief about dehydration, sun exposure, and keeping knees flexible to prevent fainting in ranks.
The parade began at 1100 hours with the various units marching south onto Pacific Coast Highway with patriotic spectators on each side cheering them on. The CAP contingent’s color guard consisted of C/SMSgt Joshua Flewellen as American flag bearer, C/SMSgt Spencer Beaulieu as Squadron 144 flag bearer, C/SrA Laura Brown as right rifle, and C/SSgt Scott Lynch as left rifle. C/1Lt Peter Kler led the combined squadrons along the parade route. Our hosts, the 147th Combat Communications Squadron, California Air National Guard were there in front of us. They are the only active duty unit to drive military vehicles in the parade, providing two all-terrain 2 ½ ton trucks with their color guard marching in front and members of their command in the back tossing candy and handing out recruiting information to the crowds.
As always, it’s very emotional to see veterans young and old waving to us and thanking us for being in their parade. Many of these veterans along the street were wearing the medals they earned during their service to our country. It was so humbling for them to be expressing their thankfulness for us when we are the ones to be thankful to them.
The parade continued past the VIP viewing stand where each participant was recognized and finally ended at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Harbor Drive. The cadets returned to the staging area for a group photo. LtCol Brian Billing, Capt David Saavedra, and Maj Dennis Ammann spoke to the cadets, thanking them for their participation, what this parade means to veterans, and the wonderful public exposure Civil Air Patrol receives each year.
The following CAP personnel attended the 2008 San Diego Veterans Parade:
Skyhawk Composite Sq. 47
LtCol Brian Billing
C/2Lt James Leslie
C/2Lt Rebecca Thieme
C/SMSgt Joelah Bruccoleri
C/TSgt Michael Chung
C/SrA Noah Bruccoleri
C/SrA Seth Bruccoleri
C/SrA Mary Rosado
C/A1c Randall Ross
Sq. 144
Maj Dennis Ammann
Capt David Saavedra
2Lt Heidi Olson
C/1Lt Peter Kler
C/2Lt Douglas Saavedra
C/CMSgt Daniel Gorin
C/SMSgt Joshua Flewellen
C/SMSgt Spencer Beaulieu
C/MSgt Rebekah Shea
C/TSgt Benjamin Shea
C/SSgt Sarah Shea
C/SSgt Scott Lynch
C/SrA Laura Brown
C/SrA Rebecca Olson
C/A1c Hanna Olson
C/A1c Emily Duescher
C/Amn Nathan Duescher
C/Amn Calab Duescher
C/Amn Jesse O’Keefe
C/Amn Naomi Shea
C/Amn Johnny Frantz
C/AB Michael Saavedra
C/AB Brett Ward
Semper Vigilans,
Maj Dennis S. Ammann
Commander, San Diego Cadet Squadron 144
