Advertisement
Advertisement

Veterans Day parade: a multifaceted portrait of San Diego’s military community

Share

At the 32nd annual San Diego Veterans Day Parade, it was easy to get a picture of the region’s military presence.

That portrait includes John Pernicano, 91, playing “You’re a Grand Old Flag” on his harmonica. Like his eight older siblings, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

“It’s quite an honor for me to be here,” he said. “I’m representing my eight brothers.”

Advertisement

Another part of this mosaic: Kinyatta Cooper, a U.S. Navy senior chief riding an 1800 Honda Goldwing with Oceanside’s Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, a tribute to the post-Civil War African-American cavalry units.

“It’s always good to give back,” Cooper said.

Then there was Blanca Rodriguez, a former Army supply specialist who mustered out in 2017. “It’s an honor to see all these veterans who have served,” she said, “past and present.”

The 11 a.m. parade, which moved down Harbor Drive from Waterfront Park to Seaport Village, was like any other. Music filled the air — the Marine Corps Band from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot delivered a stirring rendition of John Philip Sousa’s “Semper Fidelis” — and dignitaries rolled by in sleek roadsters like Steve Moxley’s 2015 deep impact blue Mustang convertible.

On a deeper level, though, the parade was unique. The largest Veteran’s Day procession in the nation, it illustrated the depth and breadth of San Diego’s ties to the military.

“This is one of the greatest expressions of diversity in this county,” said Jack Harkins, president of the parade’s sponsoring group, Veterans Week San Diego. “We are proud of having that kind of support from across the community.”

On this sunny fall day, the honorees included Pearl Harbor survivors, retired and active duty submariners, recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross, battle-scarred survivors of battles in Europe and the Pacific, Korea and Vietnam. The Paralyzed Veterans of America were there, as were the Veterans Jobs Project, the San Diego Veterans Coalition, the San Diego Veterans for Peace, and, beneath a fluttering rainbow banner, San Diego Pride’s Military Department.

Large units, small contingents, young privates and old admirals, all were warmly received by the estimated 30,000 lining the bayside route.

“Now, people stand up and salute us,” said Jim Brown, 73, an artillery lieutenant in Vietnam who later became president of San Diego Veterans for Peace. “It wasn’t always like that.”

On a grassy patch near the USS Midway Museum, Brown’s group had set up the “Hometown Arlington West Memorial.” Each of the 320 Southern Californians who have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars was marked with a temporary headstone.

His chapter is about 100 strong, most of them combat veterans. “We all agree that most of these wars don’t work,” Brown said.

Despite this group’s message and the presence of the occasional politician — Assemblyman Todd Gloria took a victory lap here, after winning re-election Tuesday — overt political messages were rare. There was an implied message, though: support the men and women in our armed forces, because of theirs sacrifices on active duty, and their contributions when they come home.

“Once the arrow of service has left the bow, it keeps flying — you keep serving,” said Jack Lyon, the parade’s grand marshal and founder of Veterans Village of San Diego, a nonprofit that helps homeless veterans find jobs, housing and purpose. “Veterans know that the way to have buoyancy in your life is to be of service to others.”

Advertisement