Annual parade draws crowd in honor of veterans

By Cydney Cappello

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008 | 2:11 p.m.

American flags of various sizes and signs that read "I am free because you are here" waved in honor of veterans today at the annual Veterans Day parade in downtown Las Vegas.

The parade took place on Fourth Street between Garces Avenue and Ogden Avenue. Hundreds of families and veterans attended the parade and showed support for more than 100 military units that made an appearance.

“We have a lot of veterans groups in this town,” parade coordinator Bruce Russell said. “We start working in January."

The parade featured 59 “wounded warriors” as grand marshals in conjunction with the Stars and Stripes Foundation.

“Last year we brought in eight troops and the mayor challenged us to bring in more this year,” Stars and Stripes Foundation partner Bill Stojack said. “Las Vegas really has a big heart and (the soldiers) have never been received like this anywhere else, plus some of them have been in recovery for over a year, so it was a good chance to get out.”

The soldiers got VIP treatment from the city and enjoyed complimentary everything: travel from VIP Travel, rooms at the Horseshoe Hotel and Casino, meals at the Venetian and complimentary tickets for the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay.

They also received compliments from the crowd as they were showered with “thank yous” while making their way down Fourth Street.

"My dad was in the army, my husband was in the army and now my son -- I never miss it," Las Vegas resident Linda Labasik, 53, said as she shouted her gratitude to the veterans and held a photo of her son, who had just returned from Afghanistan and is now stationed in Germany. She said her son got involved in the military as a part of the JROTC program at Las Vegas High School.

The parade will be shown on Channel 2 at noon Thursday, at 4 p.m. Friday and at 5 a.m. Saturday. The parade is sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 1753.