The Sons of the American Legion (SAL), Squadron 11, announced the Veterans Day parade and observance on Sunday, November 9. 

The parade will commence at 9 am and the observance will be after the parade at 10:45am at the Douglas Veterans Memorial, located by the visitor center.  Parade line-up details will be provided on the parade entry forms and will appear on a subsequent newspaper article.  

The theme for this year is “True Faith and Allegiance” which is part of the military oath of enlistment and reflects the commitment our veterans promised to maintain during their enlistment.  From World War I to the current battles in Iraq and Afghanistan and every conflict in between, local area men and women have answered the call to serve in every part of the globe and in every branch of the Armed Forces.  All citizens owe a wealth of gratitude to our veterans who honorably and bravely upheld the pledges made during their military service.     

The grand marshal will be Ramon (Mono) Rabago Jr who served with the U.S. Army from November 1944 to August 1946.  The honored guest will be Robert (Chubby) Flores who recently retired from 34 years of military service with the Arizona National Guard 2222 Transportation Company “Four Deuces.”  Both have distinguished military careers and have been a significant presence in varied public and civic activities.  Details on their service will be provided later.   

The SAL encourages everyone to become involved in the events this year.  The deadline for parade entries is November  3rd.  The participation of those in last year’s parade and events is sincerely appreciated.  We again encourage veterans, businesses, schools, bands, organizations, clubs, and private citizens to be part of this opportunity to honor our veterans.  Contact parade chairman, Richard L. Arzate at 249-8522 for details and entry forms.  

There will be an open house after the observance at the Bushmasters Club and a dance starting at 1:30pm with music provided by Rudy Bernal.  Contact Johnnie Galvez at 805-2778 for further information.  If you want to help spread the word or need flyers for your location, contact Stevie Quinonez at 364-4966.  Information on the program and observance may be obtained from René Gonzales, 227-3206 or Sam Arciniega at 227-7448.