It will go down in the books as one of the wettest, windiest, chilliest Auburn Veterans Day parades in memory.

But patriotic folks also should recall how nothing that the grim, gray Washington skies could serve up or pour down last Saturday managed to dampen anybody's spirits. People lined up by the thousands for nearly 2 1/2 hours along a mile-long stretch of rain-swept Main Street to gawk at the pageantry, thrill to the marching bands and honor the nation's veterans.

It was the 44th year for the prestigious parade, one of the largest of its type west of the Mississippi.

The parade featured more than 25 high school marching bands, honor guards, military marching units and vehicles. Spectators enjoyed the procession of veteran units, drill teams, community and scouting groups, intermixed with floats, antique and classic cars, horses, dogs and other entries of interest.

There among the flag wavers, saluters and 'thank you' shouters was Dennis Hefner, a Vietnam War veteran and former Marine. Service to one's country appears to be a family tradition in the Hafner household. His son, Michael, is serving with the U.S. Army in southern Afghanistan. Dad worries about his boy, he said, all the time.

"I feel honored you can see these guys and pay tribute," Hefner said of the parade. "This is also about the guys who didn't come back."

Raising his right hand in an expert salute, Joel Johansen, a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, watched from the sidewalk east of Main and Auburn Avenue. He drove to the parade with a buddy whose father served with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. Veterans are never far from his mind.

"My friend and I make a point to go Fort Lewis once a week, have breakfast in one of the chow halls and look at all the young men we passed the torch to," said Johansen. "And I think it's a pretty damned good generation."

"It fills me with pride," Dorothy Giriat said of the parade.

Giriat served the peace-time Army at Fort Hood, Texas, Fort Tyson, Colo., and during two tours in Germany.

A sudden squall blew in, but Giriat didn't flinch.

"My drill sergeant used to say, 'It doesn't rain in the Army, it rains on the Army, get used to it," Giriat said.

Activities began at 7 a.m. with the premiere attraction the mile-long parade. The parade was preceded by a military C-17 fly-over from McChord Air Force Base. More than 200 units showcased American strength of will, endurance and purpose.

The parade honored the American Legion. Bob Schwartz, State Commander of the American Legion served serve as the Parade Grand Marshal as well as the guest speaker at the Veterans Day Luncheon following the parade.

The National Veterans Day Committee and the Department of Defense selected the city once again as one of the regional sites for Veterans Day Observance.

Asked what brought him out, Marine Corps Capt. Mike Rosen, who saw action in the Persian Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom, had a direct answer.

"I am out here to honor veterans of the United States of America who fought for America and for freedom," he said.

Contact Auburn Reporter News reporter Robert Whale at rwhale@auburn-reporter.com or 253-833-0218, ext. 5052.

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