Antioch celebrates Veterans Day with ceremony and parade

The color guard leads off the 2013 Antioch Veterans Day Parade on 2nd Street in historic Rivertown, behind Antioch Police on motorcycles and a Contra Costa Fire truck.

By Allen Payton

The Antioch and East County community joined together to honor America’s military veterans, today with a ceremony near the Antioch Veterans Memorial at the marina, followed by the annual parade down 2nd Street in the city’s historic Rivertown.

The ceremony, led by former Antioch Mayor Jim Davis, included comments from Mayor Wade Harper and County Supervisor Mary Piepho, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Then at 11 a.m., in honor of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month when the armistice began, officially ending World War I in 1918, and pretty much at the 11th minute, the parade began. This year it was reversed and ran east from L Street to E Street, instead.

Marching bands from four of East County’s high schools, including Antioch, Deer Valley, Liberty and Freedom, participated in the parade, as did various veterans groups, Cub, Boy and Girl Scout troops and other organizations.

Following the parade, veterans and their families gathered at the VFW hall on Wilbur for a barbecue lunch.

Mayor Pro Tem Mary Rocha

Councilwoman Monica Wilson and Supervisor Mary Piepho

Mayor Wade Harper & Councilman Tony Tiscareno

DVHS Letter Carriers & Flag Team

Deer Valley High Marching Band

DVHS Band Director Larry Widener and his patriotic tie.

DVHS drum section

Cub Scouts Pack 458

Boy Scouts Troop 450

Boy Scouts honor our veterans

Alan Dollar salutes.

Vintage military vehicles.

Antioch American Legion Harding Noia Post 161

American Legion Riders

Knights Paladin

East County Veterans.

Josie Monaghan of East County Military Families.

East County Military Families.

Delta-Diablo 4-H

Antioch High Marching Band

Classic cars.

Pearl Harbor Survivor John Tait of Concord

Diablo A’s Model A Ford Club.

Diablo A’s Model A Ford Club

Freedom High Marching Band

Girl Scouts

Antioch residents lined 2nd Street to watch the parade.

Girl Scouts

Kiwanis of the Delta

Romano Marchetti of Kiwanis of the Delta

Angel Luevano of Kiwanis of the Delta

Kay Power and friends of Kiwanis of the Delta

Freedom High Marching Band

John McClendon Horses & Trainers from Bay Point.

A shetland pony from John McClendon Horses & Trainers of Bay Point.

Local veterans enjoyed the parade.

VIPS – Volunteers In Public Safety end the parade.

Veterans and families enjoyed the barbeque at the VFW Hall.

Veterans and families line up for the barbeque at the VFW Hall.

the attachments to this post:

VFW Hall barbeque

Volunteers In Public Safety

Veterans enjoyed the parade

Shetland ponies

John McClendon Horses & Trainers from Bay Point.

Horses

This entry was posted on Monday, November 11th, 2013 at 2:10 pm and is filed under Community, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.