VETERANS DAY PARADE GROWING IN STATURE.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY 

Eddie and Ernie Zasueta grew up together in Pacoima, went through 12 years of school together, joined the Marines together and fought together in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Now the brothers will be riding together on Nov. 11 as honorary grand marshals representing Desert Storm-era veterans in the San Fernando Valley's first Veterans Day parade.

``This parade is for veterans like Eddie and Ernie, who served their country and came home to serve their community,'' said Dan Rosales, the parade's co-chairman.

Ernie now works as a patrol officer in the Los Angeles Police Department's Devonshire Division. Eddie teaches algebra at Desert Oasis High School in El Centro, where he also lives.

``When Ernie called and told me we had been chosen to represent Desert Storm veterans, all I could think of was, wow, what an honor,'' Eddie said Monday.

``This parade is very important. It sends exactly the right message to the troops just coming home or serving in Iraq now, like Ernie and I did 15 years ago.

``It may seem like a simple, obvious thing, that people care, but it isn't,'' Eddie said. ``You can't just say it; you have to show it. This parade shows it.''

So far, every indication is people in the Valley are ready to show it this Veterans Day.

``We're getting more and more calls every day from people who want to participate in the parade, help sponsor it, or just come to support it,'' said Fred Flores, a Marine veteran and chairman of the Los Angeles County Veterans Advisory Commission.

``It's building momentum; you can just feel it.''

Many veterans don't belong to VFW or American Legion posts, so the word also has been going out to churches and businesses, said Rosales, chief field deputy of Councilman Alex Padilla, who with Congressman Howard Berman is co-sponsoring the parade.

``We're telling them to get a flatbed truck and come on out. This parade is for all veterans of every era. They're all welcome.''

That's what 20 of the veterans in the congregation at Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Pacoima will be doing, along with 25 other veterans from Lutheran Social Services in Van Nuys.

It's what a few dozen U.S. Postal employees who are veterans will be doing, even though Veterans' Day is a federal holiday, and they have the day off. They'll still be putting on their uniforms to march in the parade.

It's what Fred Griego, Wally Howard, and the 40 other vets working at Superior Industries in Van Nuys will do, too. Their company is not only giving them time off to ride in the parade, but they're helping to sponsor it, as well.

``We have quite a number of veterans working for us, and we've made the commitment to support and back them in any way we can,'' said Jeff Ornstein, vice president of Superior Industries, which manufactures aluminum wheels for the automotive industry.

Now all we need are more private and public companies and municipalities to make the same commitment. To give their employees a few hours off on Nov. 11 to attend a very important parade.

To join school kids, retirees and anyone else who can make it to line the 1.1 mile parade route, waving flags and saying thank you to our veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Because, like Eddie Zasueta says, it may seem like a simple, obvious thing - that people care - but it isn't.

We have to show it.

The inaugural San Fernando Valley Veterans' Day Parade will begin at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at Laurel Canyon and San Fernando Mission boulevards and proceed to Ritchie Valens Recreation Center and Park, 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Pacoima, where a fair is planned.

For information on participating or becoming a parade 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