'Welcome Home Heroes' Parade For Iraq Vets Set For Saturday In St. Louis

[jaxx]

by Mark Memmott

Veterans of the war in Iraq will be honored Saturday morning in St. Louis in what organizers say is the first major welcome home parade in the nation.

Local KSDK-TV reports that "75 floats, two marching bands and the Budweiser Clydesdales" will be involved.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, two friends — Craig Schneider and Tom Appelbaum — came up with the idea.

The Associated Press says that Appelbaum, a 46-year-old lawyer, and Schneider, a 41-year-old school technology coordinator, said they were puzzled by the lack of celebrations marking the war's end. But, they wondered, if St. Louis could host thousands of people for a parade after their beloved Cardinals won the World Series, why couldn't there be a party for the troops who put their lives on the line?"

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012...n-st-louis

I hope they get some tv coverage. Good for them having the parade!!

[SeattleGirl]

Rachel had another story about it on her show on Friday:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/.../#46171276

[jaxx]

Thanks, just watched the video. Rachel stays on top of what is happening around the country...good for her bringing this up.

[jaxx]

St. Louis hosting 1st big parade on Iraq War's end

Jan 28, 1:52 PM (ET)
By JIM SALTER

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Thousands of people have turned out in St. Louis for the nation's first big parade welcoming home Iraq War veterans.

Several hundred veterans, many dressed in camouflage, marched Saturday afternoon through downtown along with marching bands, politicians and even the Budweiser Clydesdales.

But the biggest cheers clearly were for the veterans themselves. The crowd wildly cheered as groups walked by, and some veterans wiped away tears as they acknowledged the support.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/2012012...47SG1.html

[SeattleGirl]

(01-28-2012 01:41 PM)jaxx Wrote:  St. Louis hosting 1st big parade on Iraq War's end

Jan 28, 1:52 PM (ET)
By JIM SALTER

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Thousands of people have turned out in St. Louis for the nation's first big parade welcoming home Iraq War veterans.

Several hundred veterans, many dressed in camouflage, marched Saturday afternoon through downtown along with marching bands, politicians and even the Budweiser Clydesdales.

But the biggest cheers clearly were for the veterans themselves. The crowd wildly cheered as groups walked by, and some veterans wiped away tears as they acknowledged the support.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/2012012...47SG1.html

Wonderful! I'm glad that they had such a great reception!

We need more of these.

One thing I've heard again and again is that there has been hesitation to do these parades because we are still in Afghanistan, and some of the troops who came home from Iraq then had to turn around and go to the "other war".

But WTF? That shouldn't matter. What should matter -- and obviously did to the two men who spearheaded this parade and the many who turned out for it -- is that the service of these men and women is acknowledged by the public.