2012 Petaluma Veterans Day Parade & Flyover
The little City of Petaluma supported a wonderful 2011 Veterans Day Parade complete with Flyovers from our friends the "Huey Vets" with their restored Huey Helicopter. The US Coast Guard and a few Warbirds participated as well.
Thank You to All Our Veterans and to those who helped or participated in creating a day of appreciation for our Veterans. Thank You again to our five man crew.
Sean Bressie, Bill Dunphy, Ron Pearson and Guy Smith,
COME OUT TO THE 2012 PARADE TO SUPPORT OUR VETERANS!
12:00 to 1:00 - Music playing in the Gazebo
1:00 - Parade begins
2:45 - In the Gazebo - Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance
- Pictures from the 2008/2007 Petaluma Veterans Day Flyover
- See the Warbird Digest article on the 2007 Petaluma Veterans Day Flyover
- Petaluma Municipal Airport history and directions if air show listed.
Kent Carlomagno - event/plane coordinator
Petaluma Veterans Day Parade History
From 1967 to 1983, Julius Forcucci & 2 WWI buddies walked the parade together.
In 1983 one friend died & the other was ill, so Forcucci walked alone carrying an American Flag in 1984 and 1985.
In 1986, 50 veterans joined him and the annual parade began.
Julius Forcucci died Sept. 7, 1988 at age 94. During the 1988 Veterans Day Parade a riderless horse with it's stirrups tied to the saddle led the parade in honor of Forcucci.
Over the years the parade has grown. In the early 90's the parade reached 100 entries. The 2010 parade had over 180 entries with over 1,300 participants. The estimated crowd was over 25,000.
It is the largest Veterans Day Parade north of the Golden Gate.
Steve Kemmerle - American Legion Post 28 - Parade Coordinator
PO Box 618
Petaluma, CA 94953
(non-profit)
The Petaluma Veterans Day Parade is always on the day of November 11th at 1:00PM
- For those participating in the parade, street monitors will be on hand to give out assigned numbers. Staging begins at 11:00 AM on 4th Street, from D Street south to I Street.
- 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM Music will play in the gazebo. Peter Lombardi will head up the sound system.
- Program after the parade, approximately 2:45 PM at the gazebo, a prayer by Herb Louden, Pearl Harbor Chaplin, Pledge of Allegiance, introduction of Speakers of the Day, Major General Gary Medvigy.
- The National Anthem and God Bless America will be sung this year by Petaluma Senior studen Eleni Papageorgacopoulos.
- Thanks to Friedman's, Camelbak, and all the donors of 2012, you make the parade possible.
Expected Parade Participant Highlights
- Grand Marshall this year is Corporal Stan Crandall US Army / WWII-Italy.
- Hans Beerbaum, a local film maker, has a T-34 Russian tank to enter in the parade.
- The Marin Sheriff's Posey is joining the parade this year. They do search and rescue.
- A Huey Heliocopter will fly over the parade, Sheriff's & US Coast Guard Helicoptes.
- YAK 11, 3 Nanchings and P 51 will fly over the parade. We have B-25 scheduled.
- Parade announcers are located at the museum, Putnum Plaza, and in front of the Hide Away Bay.
- Don't forget to support the Petaluma Museum: www.PetalumaMuseum.com.
- "The Forgotten War" - The Korean Conflict – Local Korean War Veterans and their families share stories/artifacts. October 14 - December 16.
- The attached logo is created & printed by Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Factory. The company has donated these stickers for the past 5 years.
- The Cost of Freedom Tribute / Travelling Wall - A replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall will be at the Sonoma Veterans Building hosted by Sonoma's Bear Flag Post 1943 of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Nov. 7 to 12, 2012. http://www.vfwpost1943.org
- Go to the Sponsor Page to see our supporters
* ALL ENTRIES ARE TENTATIVE PENDING APPROVAL
The Petaluma Veterans Day Parade is the largest Veterans Day Parade north of the Golden Gate.