Community Is The "Why"

By Kate Borders

 

My grandfather served in the US Navy. Among other tours, he was deployed to clean up Pearl Harbor after the attack and out of protection for a future attack. His son (my father) absorbed the military sense of responsibility … and he just loved planes. He joined the Marines after two years of college and flew for a period with the Blue Angels. My sister decided to go to the US Naval Academy and graduated in the first ten years of women being admitted. My other sister enlisted and went through law school and practiced for a bit with the Navy. The military is part of our family and I’m sure many of you have similar stories.

 

For the past few years our country has seen great difficulty, people have suffered and tensions are high.   But if we put on the lens of “what’s good” for a moment, there is much to be grateful for. My hope is that we all can use Veterans Day as an opportunity to focus on the good in our country. Let’s stow our verbal weapons and unleash our empathy. Tempe’s Veterans Day parade has stepped off and wound through downtown for over fifty years! From local Boy and Girl Scout Troops to marching bands to American Legion posts to various veterans’ groups, this parade is the embodiment of community and family.  

 

Come join us on November 11^th starting at 10am as the parade progresses up Mill Avenue to the Tempe Beach Park where guests will find a resource village, live music, and friends and colleagues to share in the afternoon.