Men, women and children lined the streets at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site on Monday to honor the nation’s veterans as part of the 36th Annual Lough Legacy Veterans Day Parade.
The Historic Trust hosted the event, along with an open house handing out coffee, hot cocoa and hot dogs at nearby Pearson Hangar.
Attendees wore rain gear as clouds hovered overhead and soggy ground lay below. Despite the threaten of a downpour, many locals still came out to show their respects, waving American flags as the parade passed by.
Doug Smith-Lee huddled with his family along the parade route.
“Men and women, for years and years, have sacrificed so much for what we can enjoy and sometimes what we take for granted,” he said.
“We need them now more than ever,” Leslie Smith-Lee added. “We need to honor the ones who’ve been through it all and who’ve broken everything in their body they possibly could have and done that for us — for our freedom.”
Doug Smith-Lee said attending the parade is his family’s small way of showing appreciation for those sacrifices.
Marching bands, scouting troops and community organizations all marched in the parade. Antique cars, tractors and fire trucks impressed those watching. But it was the veterans and the families of those killed in action who highlighted the real meaning of the day.
Laura Belanger and her husband both have veterans in their families who have been important in their lives. The couple brought their two daughters to the parade.
Flag in hand, 7-year-old Rosie Belanger wasn’t sure what to expect during the parade but wanted to celebrate her great-grandfathers.
“We wanted to bring them out so that we can show our respect,” Laura Belanger said. The couple wanted to instill in their kids the importance of taking the time to attend the parade.
Vancouver “has a long-established tradition of honoring our military history,” the Historic Trust’s website states.
Organizers said the parade is meant to celebrate the service and sacrifice local veterans have made for freedom.
