Tens of thousands expected at downtown military parade
Five years have passed and emotions are different in the region, but organizers of a parade next week to welcome soldiers and airmen home from war say the crowds could be even bigger than they were in 2004.
Troops from around the region along with floats and marching bands will head down Tejon Street in downtown Colorado Springs at 10 a.m. Aug. 29 for the Red White and Brave Welcome Home Parade. It reprises a 2004 parade that welcomed home soldiers who had joined the invasion of Iraq.
Parade organizer John O’Donnell, who also oversaw the 2004 event, said the last one was more like a victory parade, a celebration of patriotism that drew a crowd of more than 50,000 who packed 12-deep along Tejon Street. The 2009 version, which O’Donnell said should draw as many or more people to downtown, thanks troops for the sacrifices they’ve made during a conflict that has lasted longer than leaders imagined in 2004.
“This time it’s more about soldiers and their families,” O’Donnell said. “That’s a really good thing for our community to express.”
Organizers advise onlookers to show up at least an hour before the parade begins if they want a clear view.
The spectacle will include thousands of soldiers marching from St. Vrain Street to Vermijo Avenue.
O’Donnell said one indicator shows that public support for the 2009 parade is strong: Donors have given almost all of the $150,000 needed for the event.
