by Lyman Stucky on 2016-05-18
MORENO VALLEY >> The 2016 Salute to Veterans parade was recently held in Moreno Valley. Rain poured down from the sky as the vehicles and marching bands lined up but the rain stopped before the parade actually began.
One parade participant scheduled to drive to the parade from out of town considered the rain and considered sleeping in and skipping the parade, but then thought "NO! Those Veterans didn't get the choice to sleep in when it was raining, they served rain or shine."
Of at least 106 parade entries, approximately 100 actually showed up to express gratitude to the loyal Veterans who served to protect our freedom. There were two long final staging lines on the street near Riverside City College (RCC), after initial staging took place on the RCC campus.
The main parade route went along Market Street. Most of the main parade route was along Market Street. The parade began at 10 a.m. and ended around noon.
According to the driver of parade vehicle #59, veterans in military caps and leather jackets were seen all along the parade route. Also seen along the route were many civilians who tearfully and enthusiastically waved and cheered in support of the veterans.
The parade is organized each year by A Salute to Veterans Parade Committee, a 501©-3 corporation established in 2005 and dedicated to honoring veterans of all ages and all eras.