TEXARKANA - The site of marching bands, drill teams, vintage cars and the morning's glorious sun rays all combined to encouraged the crowd to collect downtown Saturday for the annual Veterans Day Parade.
Hundreds of local and area residents not only enjoyed the bright sun, but also the brisk autumn breeze as they cheered both parade participants as well as dozens of military veterans riding in red, white and blue streamer-laded parade floats.
The Texarkana Area Veterans Council hosted this year's annual Veterans Day Parade as it has for decades. Numerous civic organizations, public and private schools, clubs, churches and businesses have also participated years.
This year's parade theme celebrated the 100th anniversary of the American Legion. The organization was founded in 1919 by veterans returning from World War I.
The anniversary gave a special historical meaning to the procession as well as to the participants.
Local resident Shirley Ramon, who's served for several years as a volunteer for the Veterans Administration local outpatient clinic on Realtor Avenue, said she was inspired to volunteer at the clinic largely because she had two husbands who served in the Army in Vietnam. She added that she is also thankful to all the other servicemen and women, from all the other military branches, who have served from throughout the last century and beyond.
"My brother, Willie Ramon, also served in the Army," she said.
Don Ellis, a chaplain for the American Legion's Post#58 in Texarkana, Ark., said he served in the Navy for 22 years - with some of that time spent on the Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Midway well before it became a floating museum near San Diego Naval Air Station.
Leviticus Luckey, who served in the Army some 50 years ago, was touched to serve as parade marshal this year.
"It's a great honor to be chosen for this and I thank my dad for his service in both World War II and Korea," Luckey said. "I'm from a military family and it served me well."