Nine-year-old Lauren Cowick understands.
”
It’s important,
”
she said,
”
because we want our town to be safe.
”
And that, a child’s appreciation, announced without a moment’s
contemplation, typified the significance of Tuesday’s late morning
parade in downtown Hollister to honor San Benito County’s 3,700
living veterans, as well as countless others who have passed
on.
Nine-year-old Lauren Cowick understands.
“It’s important,” she said, “because we want our town to be safe.”
And that, a child’s appreciation, announced without a moment’s contemplation, typified the significance of Tuesday’s late morning parade in downtown Hollister to honor San Benito County’s 3,700 living veterans, as well as countless others who have passed on.
Cowick and hundreds of other residents attended the second annual tribute in downtown Hollister on Veterans Day. They watched as former and current soldiers marched for about an hour – at times to rousing ovation, at other moments to solemn stares of appreciation.
Minutes before the parade began, Hollister’s Barbara Silva, a member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary, donning a sleek blue suit uniform, stood outside the Veterans Memorial Building.
“There’s a history of wars this country has been in that our children need to know about, and they don’t teach these things in the schools,” said Silva, while gazing down toward the ground at commemorative brick pavers graced with names of fallen soldiers.
While organizers promoted last year’s celebration as San Benito County’s first in 50 years, yesterday’s parade – without a drop-off in fervor – especially glorified the hometown soldiers.
The theme, “Honoring Local Heroes,” was immediately captured. As two World War II-vintage P-51 Mustangs breezed over downtown, old-timers from local veterans organizations – including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and American Ex-Prisoners of War – led the procession.
They were followed by an array of active soldiers, community organizations, businesses and politicians.
“To me, this is really personal because it’s a small community,” said David Prado of Hollister, a uniformed leadership officer for the Civil Air Patrol out of San Jose. There, he said, he trains soldiers for active duty. “A lot of us see each other, that know one another here. It’s just a tight-knit community.”
The number of military units in this year’s event dropped, according to parade coordinator Richard Herrera, as many of those who marched in 2002 are currently serving in Iraq.
Before he returned home in late October, Hollister’s Ed Quinonez had been fighting in the Middle East as well. Each year, the League of United Latin American Citizens selects a “veteran of the year.” This year, it was Quinonez, who was active for 11 months.
Yesterday, he sat comfortably, deservedly, atop the back seat of a convertible waving to his friends and neighbors. Quinonez works full time as a manager at Hollister Disposal. He has also regularly volunteered for LULAC and the YMCA.
Other younger generation soldiers included Air Force veteran Ron BeVard, an Army National Guard unit from Bakersfield and the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center out of Monterey.
Even younger yet – with uniformed tops and an array of blue jeans and shorts – local chapters of Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Tiger Cubs marched as well.
Boy Scout Greg Steinbeck, 7, said his favorite part of marching in the parade was holding a flag. His group, like all the military participants, carried their own colors – as well as American and California flags.
For 9-year-old Robert Barrientos of Hollister, the highlight of the procession was “when the people had the car with the gun on top.”
He was referring to a camouflaged 1941 World War II Jeep driven by Hollister City Councilman/county Marshal Robert Scattini.
“It’s a beautiful day, a beautiful turnout and a lot of politicians,” said Scattini, also a veteran of the Army Military Police.
Sitting alongside Scattini in the restored relic were U.S. Congressman Sam Farr and World War II veteran John Buchanan – also a former history teacher at San Benito High School.
Barrientos’ brother Ruben, 7, said he most enjoyed the seeing the Hollister Police Department up close.
“This is fun,” he said. “And sad.”
After the parade finished, the veterans organizations oversaw a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Building.
VFW commander Charlie Scott briefly addressed widely dissident sentiments about the conflict in Iraq.
“While it is true many of us may question the policy to send troops to Iraq, those questions should in no way lessen the support for our troops,” Scott said.
As happened on Memorial Day during the rededication of the Veterans Memorial Building, Scott directed fellow veterans to lay flowers and wreaths on two stone shrines honoring veterans of Vietnam, World War I and World War II.
And a deed that never gets old, he ordered the Honor Guard: “Do your duties.”
They fired off three piercing rifle shots before the San Benito High School band played “Taps,” the traditional, somber harmony associated with fallen soldiers.
“It was a great time for San Benito County,” said Herrera, who will soon start planning for the third annual parade, “a time to reflect on men and women who continue to serve, but also those who have passed away.”
