Crowds laud vets at parade

Patriotism, not commerce, was the order of business in downtown Colorado Springs Saturday morning.
At the Colorado Springs Veterans Day Parade, people lined Tejon Street from St. Vrain Street to Vermijo Avenue to watch more than 100 floats, groups, military units, Scouts and marching bands pass.
It was a flag-waving, music-blaring, hand-saluting affair.
"This is my favorite parade," said Kayla Jackson, 11, as she sprawled on the sidewalk with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate. "Veterans have fought for us and fought for our country so it's nice there is a parade for them."
She came with her parents, who aren't military veterans, two hours early to secure a spot.
"Some of the other parades are just floats and lights," Kayla said. "This one is different because there's lots of people in it."
Sure, there were Jeeps, tanks, trucks and a fly-over by an Air Force plane, plus handouts of flags, stickers and candy.
But the people in uniform - past, present and future - are the backbone of this parade.
"I like how they show the various war veterans in different stages of history," said Dr. Mike Harris, a dentist who served seven years in the Army Dental Corps.
"I like all the trucks," said his son, Miles, 7. "They're cool."
Lisa Soto Moore and Harry Soto Colon waited for their two teenagers to perform with the Fountain-Fort Carson Junior ROTC parade unit.
"I like the unity of the people, it brings the community together," Moore said.
Colon who served in Afghanistan, will retire soon after 25 years in the Army.
"It's a day to remember the sacrifice our military has made and is still making," he said.
Gordon Dixon, a 51-year-old Army veteran, knows about sacrifice.
"I've buried more than a few friends at war," Dixon said. "There's a quote that goes. ‘A nation that forgets its defenders will cease to exist'."
Josh Ceciliani, a 15-year-old trombone player in the Liberty High School band, marched in the parade.
"It's invigorating playing for our veterans, and making them feel good about fighting for our country, that's what it feels like out there," the teen said.
As 4-year-old Justine Teets, happily twirled around holding a flag in each hand, her mom, Michelle, reflected on the parade teary-eyed and her dad, John, a Fort Carson sergeant 1st class, watched somberly.
"We have a lot of friends who have been injured or that we've lost. It's a constant and everyday occurrence, the loss and the sacrifice," Michelle Teets said.
"Memorial Day, Veterans Day, a lot of people look at it as a holiday time to break out the barbecue and have a party," she said.
"For our generation now, just like others - Vietnam vets, Korean vets, all of them - you learn the true meaning of this day. It is a time to celebrate their lives, but it's not a party. It brings it home."