PARADE GIVES VETERANS THEIR DUE RESPECT.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY 

It slips by every year like an old friend we promise to catch up with but seldom do.

Veterans Day. The day the country is supposed to say thank you to all its veterans - from those fighting in Iraq right now, back to Desert Storm, Vietnam, Korea and World War II.

Congress declared Nov. 11 a federal holiday in 1938 so we could attend Veteran's Day celebrations to do just that: honor our veterans. But in the San Fernando Valley you'd be hard-pressed to find more than a handful of small gatherings, mostly at VFW and American Legion posts, and local war memorials.

And those, sad to say, are seldom attended by more than a handful of people from the general public. It's mainly veterans and their families celebrating their own pride and duty to this country.

That's all changing this year. For the first time ever on Veterans Day, the Valley is finally throwing a long overdue parade for its vets.

There will be marching bands, National Guard and Army Reserve units, honorary grand marshals representing every war, Blue Star wives and mothers, and veterans - plenty of veterans - marching along. And they all join in afterward for a big celebration at Ritchie Valens Recreation Center and Park in Pacoima.

All that's needed now are for those sidewalks along the 1.1-mile parade route to be crowded with people saying thank you to these men and women.

``I think more people would come out to celebrate our veterans from every war if there was a big event like this, but people haven't had the chance to participate - now they do,'' said Congressman Howard Berman, who is supporting the parade.

Like a lot of local political figures and veterans officials, Berman wondered why he had to drive to Long Beach for the closest Veterans Day parade celebration - and not on Veterans Day itself but the previous Saturday. There's also a Veterans Day parade on the grounds of the West Valley VA that goes a few blocks into Westwood.

``We decided it was time for the Valley to have its own parade, and to have it on Veterans Day,'' said Fred Flores, a Vietnam vet who is chairman of the Los Angeles County Veterans Advisory Commission.

While Veterans Day is a holiday for federal employees, and public schools are closed, most people don't have the day off. Veterans Day falls on a Thursday this year.

So Berman and Los Angeles City Council President Alex Padilla, whose district the parade is in, are calling for employers to give employees who are veterans a few hours off on Nov. 11 to participate.

``This is a way to do something more than just pay lip service to the day,'' Berman said Monday. ``Give your veterans a couple of hours off to join in the celebration.''

It's also a way for the public to honor the men and women in the National Guard and Army Reserve who have returned from service in Iraq, or are scheduled to leave soon.

Let them off for a few hours so they can march in the San Fernando Valley Veterans Day Parade, and give the public a chance to welcome them home or give them a big send-off.

``It also honors the young men and women still serving in Iraq and Afghanistan today, 40 percent of whom are members of the National Guard and reserves,'' said retired U.S. Marine Corp. Col Joe Smith, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Military & Veterans Affairs.

``They've earned and deserve our support.''

Serving as the parade's World War II Honorary Grand Marshal will be U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit Judge Harry Pregerson, a Marine veteran.

LAPD Deputy Chief Ronald Bergmann, commanding officer of the Valley Bureau, will serve as the Vietnam War-era grand marshal, while actor and author James McEachin will represent the Korean War.

Honorary grand marshals for Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom have not been selected yet. I have been honored to be selected Grand Marshal of the parade, representing the National Guard.

``I think with what the country is going through right now this parade is a wonderful way for everyone to pay tribute to the sacrifices and tough job our troops are doing overseas,'' Bergmann said.

``It's fitting that our local veterans will be honored on Veterans Day with a parade because I think too many people spend the day forgetting all those huge cemeteries with the white crosses.''

For more information on participating in the parade or becoming a sponsor, call Patty Navarro at San Fernando Florist, [phone].

Dennis McCarthy, [phone]

dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com

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SAN FERNANDO VALLEY VETERANS DAY PARADE