This year’s Veterans Day parade Grand Marshal is Gilroy resident and World War II veteran Robert Peterson, who earned a Purple Heart.

By Jesse Sanchez

Jesse Sanchez

Gilroy will have a Veterans Day Parade Friday, Nov. 11, for the first time allowing South County residents to combine their love of parades with their patriotism.

It’s important for residents to know why we are celebrating. Veterans Day is a national holiday honoring ALL veterans who served, living or deceased, but especially the living veterans among us.

In contrast, Memorial Day is a more somber time specifically commemorating the men and women who died while serving our country and made the ultimate sacrifice.

The November observance originated in 1919 on the first anniversary of the 1918 armistice that ended World War I. Known as Armistice Day, it was a day of celebration of peace.

We hope the Veterans Day Parade, hosted by the South Santa Clara Valley Memorial District and the Gilroy Veterans Hall, will become a new tradition that provides a way for the community to come together and properly honor, celebrate and thank local veterans for their service to our country.

The parade theme this year is “Remember Everyone Deployed and All Who Served” for R.E.D. Friday. Military families have a tradition of wearing red on Fridays to show support for their military family members. Since Veterans Day falls on a Friday this year it is the perfect theme. We hope the community will embrace this and there will be a sea of red along the parade route.

Right from the start, the community will be able to see and cheer for veterans — including members of the Greatest Generation, those who fought in World War II.

This year’s Grand Marshal is Gilroy resident and World War II veteran Robert Peterson, who earned a Purple Heart. He will be riding in a 1944 World War II Ford Jeep owned by Morgan Hill resident Tim Edes, who restored it with his brothers George and Ben Edes.

Another World War II veteran participating in the parade is Gilroy resident Al Gagliardi, who served in the U.S. Army. He was assigned to the 147th Infantry as a 50-caliber machine gunner. The infantry was attached to the 5th Marine Division in Iwo Jima and later went to Okinawa. He served as the Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshal in 2010.

There will be veterans from all eras participating in the parade — in cars, on motorcycles and bikes or on floats. Each man and woman deserves our gratitude. So community residents can plan where they watch the procession from, the parade will start at 1 p.m. at Seventh and Monterey streets and travel north to Fourth and Monterey streets in Gilroy. The announcers’ stage will be at Fifth and Lewis streets.

Of course, the parade wouldn’t be possible without generous donors such as the VFW Post 6309, the American Legion Post 217, MG Construction & Engineers, Mayor Marie Blankley, Cal Silk, Jay Johnson & Associates LLC, Plumbing America, Western Site Services and Vanni & Humphreys CPAs.

But the celebration of our local veterans isn’t limited to one day. There will also be other activities throughout the month to celebrate and honor veterans including the Veterans Day Ceremony hosted by the VFW Post 6309 on Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m. at the Gilroy Veterans Hall, 74 W. Sixth St.

Also, the Sixth Street Studios & Art Center is hosting local veterans’ art, which will be on display Nov. 5 through Nov. 27 with Friday Art Walk and opening reception Nov. 12.

We hope the community rallies around the parade and other events to celebrate our heroes not only this month but throughout the year. Please take a moment to thank a veteran.

Jesse Sanchez is a retired U.S. Army veteran and committee member of the Gilroy Veterans Day Parade and the chaplain for VFW Post 6309.