Veterans Day: East Valley Veterans Parade

Veterans Day is the day to thank all the women and men who have served in the US Armed ForcesPhoto byDefense Visual Information Distribution Service

The East Valley Veterans Parade Association (EVVPA) will be hosting the 2023 East Valley Veterans Parade on Saturday, November 11 from 11 am to 2 pm. The parade route will run along Center Street and First Street in downtown Mesa. The parade provides an opportunity for the community to gather in honoring, thanking, and celebrating local Veterans, active Military, and their families.

This year's theme

The theme for the 2023 parade is “Vietnam Valor” in recognition of the 50 years that have passed since the conclusion of the war in Vietnam. This year’s parade is an opportunity for the community to come together to remember their courage, and thank them for their service and sacrifices during the war. Many brave men and women served the United States during the Vietnam War, and many did not make it home.

Those who served

The Vietnam War was fought by young men and women. The average age of those who served during that time was nineteen. They faced many challenges in the field that had never been experienced by previous fighting forces.

The average age of those who served in the Vietnam War was 19Photo byThe U.S. National Archives

According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 265,000 American women served the military during the war. Of the 2.7 million service members deployed to Vietnam, 11,000 of them were women. Ninety percent of the women worked as volunteer nurses. These brave women served in difficult and dangerous behind-the-lines locations in massive causality situations involving amputations, wounds, and chest tubes for their patients.

Like their male counterparts, the women who served in Vietnam faced an angry and aggressive public who were divided and critical of the war. Many veterans were not welcomed home, and many were left without support as they struggled with injuries, PTSD, survivor’s guilt, and addiction. They struggled alone without family, friends, or community support.

Celebrating their service

This year’s East Valley Veterans Parade will officially celebrate Vietnam veterans and give them a proper homecoming. The public is invited to join in and say “Welcome Home” and “Thank you!"

The EVVPA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is an all-volunteer community event organization. More details are available at evvp.org. Those who are interested in learning more about the women who served in Vietnam can read this article by the VA News. For a take on why Vietnam Veterans were treated poorly when they returned, this History Channel article might be of interest.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW:

• WHAT: East Valley Veterans Parade
• WHEN: Saturday, November 11 from 11 am to 2 pm
• WHERE: Starts on Center Street and University in Mesa and runs South on Center Street to 1st Street, it then turns west onto 1st St. and continues to Robson. You can see the route map here.