LONGMONT — Before the 2011 edition of Longmont’s annual Veterans Day Parade even got underway Friday morning, several parade-goers and observers reported they’d spotted a bald eagle circling above Fourth Avenue and Main Street.
“Pretty appropriate,” said Carl Belcamino, commander of Longmont’s John Howard Buckley American Legion Post 32, the host of this year’s parade.
A short time later, at 11:11 a.m. on Nov. 11 — the official date for the nation’s Veterans Day holiday — two northbound F-16 Fighting Falcon jets from the 140th Wing of the Colorado Air National Guard soared over downtown Longmont, signaling it was time for more than 50 parade units to start proceeding south on Main Street.
Residents gathered on sidewalks along the parade route — which ran from Eighth to Fourth avenues on Main before turning onto Third and going north on Coffman — included a number of military veterans identifiable by the ball caps and other clothing they wore to the event.
Roy Chambers, who served in the Navy from 1969 to 1971, said Veterans Day is an important reminder of the sacrifices many Americans in the military have made to ensure the freedom of the people attending Friday’s parade.
“A lot gave up their lives for that freedom,” said Chambers, whose service included time on the USS Colonial, a dock landing ship that participated in several Vietnam War campaigns.
“So many people made sacrifices” in this nation’s military conflicts, said Larry Lykins, who served in the Air Force from 1959 to 1963.
He said he’d made it a point to attend the parade because “it’s a big thing to me” to be able to do it on behalf of “the guys who didn’t made it back” from combat or who came back with disabilities.
“I made it. They didn’t. I always think of that,” said Lykins, adding that “I hope to God” others will remember those military veterans’ sacrifices.
Another of Friday’s parade watchers was Bob Connor, who served in the Marines from 1945 to 1958, including the Korean War. He said he was there because “I had a lot of good buddies” die in that war, “and I do it for them.”
Classes from some area schools and preschools showed up for the occasion, including of students from Longmont Christian School.
