Thousands cheer for veterans

Patriotic fanfare — and ample crowds —­­ blanketed Main Street Wednesday morning.

The 91st annual Veterans Day Parade, a popular holiday event organized by members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, drew thousands of spectators who packed the downtown thoroughfare.

“We had ideal weather,” Chairman Ed Flory said. “We had a few more entries than the past few years, and more and more general interest.”  

The Porterville Police Department and the Porterville Fire Department were unable to provide an official count as to how many people watched the parade.

Smiling Porterville police officers in cars and on motorcycles led the procession. Applause erupted, however, for the Porterville and Springville color guards that followed.  

With 148 entries, there were still some lulls in the two hour line up, but they were overcome by some charming sights: a unicycle carrying Uncle Sam, City Councilman Brian Ward wearing a red and black plaid kilt, a clown driving a motorized recliner chair and the Summit Charter Academy float displaying a sign that read “thank you for giving us the freedom to think.”

Grand Marshal Mike Rooke, a former U.S. Air force cryptographer, rode in a pale lime green Volkswagen beetle with his granddaughters.

A Vietnam-era veteran who spent time decoding top secret messages at the Alconbury in England, he said being the grand marshal was a reminder of his age.

“Well my first reaction was I thought you were supposed to be old,” he joked.

There were a few incidents on the sidelines that did not match the spirit of the day, including a brief physical altercation between some young adults at Mill Avenue.

Aside from the local dignitaries, horses and public school floats, there were marching bands, classic cars and, of course, a plethora of veterans who marched along.

Porterville resident Barbara Haley, dressed in her regular camouflage jacket and hat, carried pictures of her two military-serving sons — Carl Hall and Steven Hall — to the parade.

“I never take [the photos] out of the house,” she said. “I wanted to honor them.”

For Haley, and for most Porterville residents, going to the downtown parade is a yearly tradition.

“They’ve always been good, real good,” she said. “I look forward to seeing the horses and the service men and women.”

Contact Jenna Chandler at 784-5000, Ext. 1050, or jchandler@portervillerecorder.com.