Veterans Day Parade salutes Iraq, Afghanistan war vets

This year’s Petaluma Veterans Day Parade theme, “A Salute to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans,” coincides with the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War.

While the annual parade honors and recognizes all military veterans, this year, “We want to especially recognize the sacrifice made by all those service men and woman who served in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Joe Noriel, parade director with Petaluma American Legion, which organizes what is considered the North Bay’s largest Veterans Day parade.

The festivities this Veterans Day, which is Saturday, begin at noon with music and military speakers at the Walnut Park gazebo. The parade kicks off at 1 p.m. at D and 4th streets.

U.S. Army Col. Chris Kolenda is the parade’s grand marshal this year.

A renowned combat leader who fought in Afghanistan, he is founder of the Saber Six Foundation, a Milwaukee-based organization that aims to “transform veterans’ mental health through adventure and development programs,” according to the foundation’s website.

Kolenda started the organization to honor six paratroopers from his unit who were killed in action in Afghanistan, and received national attention after he bicycled 1,700 miles to raise money for their families, according to a news release.

He will be honored with a proclamation from Petaluma officials before the parade begins, Noriel said.

Another notable guest leading the parade will be Petaluma resident and 98-year-old World War II veteran Growing Bear McKenzie. He served with the British Army’s Special Air Service, a special forces unit, that fought the Germans in Italy and North Africa, Noriel said.

In addition, the American Indian Preservation Fund, a Santa Rosa-based nonprofit, reports, “This year’s parade will see the largest Native American veteran contingent to date.”

“The American Indian Preservation Fund is a proud supporter of the Petaluma Veterans Day Parade,” the group said in a news release, adding that “2023 is our 11th year participating in the parade.”

During the parade, announcers will be stationed in front of the Petaluma Museum, Putnam Plaza and the Hideaway on Kentucky Street, Noriel said.

After the parade concludes, the program will resume at 2:45 p.m. at the Walnut Park gazebo to include Andrea Krout, who will sing the National Anthem, he said.

Saturday’s parade carries on a tradition that began humbly in 1967 as “more of a procession” than a parade, Noriel said, when Petaluma resident and veteran Julius Focucci and two of his WWII friends “took it upon themselves to honor the day” and fellow veterans.

The American Legion officially took over parade organizing in 1986 and has led it ever since, he said.

Spectators can expect to see over 200 participants, with military veterans being the honored guests along with veteran service organizations, equestrian teams and a few local car clubs. Law enforcement, first responders, community groups and others will also participate. Government leaders Rep. Jared Huffman, state Sen. Bill Dodd and Assemblyman Damon Connelly, as well as local officials, are expected to attend.

And, as usual, marching bands from Petaluma’s high schools will perform.

The parade extends to the skies as well with flyovers planned by a Vietnam-era Huey helicopter, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue helicopter and Sonoma County law enforcement helicopters.

In the U.S., 6.2% of the population or 16.2 million people are U.S. military veterans, according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau data. Of those, approximately 26% or 4.2 million have served since September 2001, and that group has shown elevated rates of suicide compared to the general population, according to the Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs at Brown University.

“It’s important that we do our part so they're not forgotten and their stories are not forgotten to get them the help that they need. It's about sharing stories, sharing history, but also support of the veterans,” Noriel said.

Noriel recommends attendees arrive early, as the event falls on a Saturday this year and is expected to draw tens of thousands of people. Handicap parking will be available in the lot between Kentucky and Keller streets, across from Fruit in Motion, he said.

For more information, visit petalumaveteransparade.com or email historyconnected@gmail.com.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennifer Sawhney at 707-521-5346 or jennifer.sawhney@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @sawhney_media.