Welcome Home the Heroes Parade
in downtown St. Louis
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Shouts of "Thank You" greeted thousands of veterans marching in the first 'Welcome Home The Heroes Parade' in downtown St. Louis.
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Hand-made signs, placed prominently on many parade units, acknowledged the courage of veterans who gave their lives.
Priscilla M. Martin greeted Congressman Russ Carnahan with great enthusiasm.
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'Welcome Home The Heroes Parade' Drew Huge Crowds to Downtown St. Louis
by Betty Moore, SLFP.com
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), January 28, 2012 - The first Welcome Home the Heroes Parade for post 9/11 troops in the country drew tens of thousands of families, friends, veterans and supporters to downtown St. Louis, Saturday, January 28, 2012.
While waiting for the parade to begin at noon, Katie Sprowls, from St. Louis, reflected on the significance of an event honoring Iraq Veterans. "The importance of this event is the Veterans and not your opinion of the war. They are overseas protecting us, away from their families, away from their loved ones and we should support them, no matter how you feel about the war. These people put their lives on the line everyday for us."
Sprowls acknowledged that honoring veterans was also special because of family members who served in Iraq. "I've lost two friends to the war and I know a lot of people who have lost loved ones," she said, as horns blared loudly and people shouted "Thank You" to the troops.
Four large flags hung above Market Street waved in strong breezes under pristine blues skies. The sound of sirens from St. Louis police on motorcycles echoed through the corridor of tall buildings on Market Street, as they led over 80 military and civilian units and several high school marching bands from Kiener Plaza to Saint Louis Union Station.
All along the parade route, young children enthusiastically waved flags, while parents held up hand-drawn signs of "Welcome Home" and "Thank You". Numerous veterans proudly waved flags as troops passed.
"It's just amazing. I've never seen so many soldiers and motorcycles," said a woman, holding her son so he could see the parade."
The outpouring of patriotic support was also emotional for many participants who waved back, shouting "You're Welcome," as they wiped away tears. Many soldiers broke away from their troop to hug family members waiting behind aluminum barriers along the route.
Justin Petty, an Army specialist who served two tours in Iraq, said that he never expected a crowd like this. "This is more than a welcome home. Walking down Market and seeing so many people being so proud of this nation and seeing how many people served was just amazing," he repeated.
A Veterans Resouce Village held in Saint Louis Union Station connected returning servicemen and women with people and organizations to ease their transition back home. The Mission Continues joined nearly 50 nonprofit organizations including the Semper Fi Fund, the American Red Cross and the Fisher House at the resource village.
In an interview at Saint Louis Union Station, following his participation in the parade, Congressman Russ Carnahan proudly stated, "I've always believed that St. Louis is a special place and they've done so much to give back and support veterans, but to see so many people come out and welcome home our Iraq war veterans is so heartwarming.
Congressman Carnahan, who serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, noted that they are doing a lot of work on how to care for this new generation of veterans that are coming home.
"They have unique skills, but also many have unique needs in terms of wounds that they have, both physical and mental care. We need to make sure they are getting care and making the right transition when they do get home. We need their skills to be put to work for our country again. We are giving the message to them that what they have done for our country isn't done," Carnahan continued.
"We passed a really important legislation recently that provides some substantial tax benefits for companies that hire veterans. We think it's the right thing to do and it's another way to help speed up the transition. Even though our employment numbers are down to the lowest in three year now, that unemployment number is still really high for veterans," stated Congressman Carnahan.
What began as an idea by two St. Louisans just four weeks ago, unfolded with amazing energy through social media, a partnership with The Mission Continues and support from St. Louis City, St. Louis County and hundreds of volunteers.
While the overwhelming outpouring of support took some by surprise, especially as crowds have dwindled noticeably for recent Veterans' Day celebrations, parade organizer Tom Appelbaum said that he knew people would come out. "From the people that were standing out in the rain last night listening to the names of the fallen being read and the positive response we have been getting all along, I knew people would come."
He paused a moment before added that seeing it all come together was still overwhelming. "We would like to see this move forward in a way that can really help raise awareness for vets and the transition that they need to make."
"With an event like this, it's a way of closing the book on Iraq," Appelbaum observed. "People do care and they care about the vets."
See related story: Welcome Home Foundation Moves Forward with Challenge to Raise $7 Million in 7 Days for Vets
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