Daughters of the American Revolution participating in Lake Havasu’s Veterans Day Parade marching on McCulloch Blvd. Photo by Phaedra Veronique
LAKE HAVASU CITY – In celebration of Veterans Day, the downtown streets of Lake Havasu were filled with people, vehicles, and floats decorated in red white and blue for the year’s annual parade. The Veterans Day Parade took place on Monday, November 11 on McCulloch Blvd.
The parade was organized by Veterans of Foreign War (VFW 9401), the nonprofit consisting of military service members and veterans active in reserve forces and guard. Formerly known as Armistice Day, Veterans Day is a United States federal Holiday observed and celebrated on November 11.
The holiday simultaneously happens with other commemorations in several countries like Remembrance Armistice Days. Both take place on the anniversary of the date when World War I ended.
The conflicts of WWI ended in the 11th hour of the 11th day when the Armistice with Germany came to be in 1918. In 1954, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day, which was strongly encouraged by United State Veterans organizations.
At the Veterans Day parade, residents of Lake Havasu filled the sidewalks waving American flags and wearing patriotic hats and clothing in honor of our veterans.
Community organizations such as Daughters of the American Revolution, Veterans Thrift, and several other groups marched the streets while smiling and waving at the many spectators present. When the parade ended, VFW Post 9401 opened their doors to all veterans for a ceremony at their facility. The nonprofit provided a free lunch with a choice of either hamburgers or hotdogs. Non veterans in attendance donated $5 for the lunch, which went towards the VFW 9401.
VFW exists to make sure that veterans are treated with respect and are honored for the sacrifices they’ve made for this country. Each year, Veterans Day is the holiday that celebrates veterans of all wars, as well as those actively serving.
Phaedra Veronique
