Los Banos gearing up for veterans parade

Oct. 24--The Nov. 8 date is fast approaching for the first Los Banos Veterans Parade, and a small committee of locals is working to make sure it comes together.

The parade, put on by VFW Post 2487 and American Legion Post 166, is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. at K and Sixth streets. From there it will travel up Sixth Street to H Street, passing an announcement booth on J Street. At H, the parade will turn left, then make another left on Fifth Street before finishing at City Hall on Fifth and J streets.

A second announcement booth will be set up on the corner of H and Fifth streets. John Cates, who is lending his public announcement system for one of the booths, will announce at one booth, and Joe Ferry will handle the other.

At the conclusion of the parade, the City of Los Banos will unveil a monument to the 15 Los Banos servicemen who have been lost in combat from World War I to today.

Meanwhile, the Pacheco High School band will play the Star Spangled Banner, and the Los Banos High band will play "This Is My Country."

The Los Banos Chamber of Commerce office, located on Sixth Street between I and J, is selling small American flags for $1 for spectators to wave during the parade.

As of Monday's committee meeting, 10 entries had returned their entrance forms, but another 20 or so have given verbal commitments.

"All we had to do was open our mouth and mention that there's a veterans parade, and it started from there," said event coordinator Cassandra Helmrick, the junior vice commander of the local VFW post.

"This town is very, very proud of its veterans.

"There's so many people touched by war and service, and they say oh, my grandfather was, or my uncle is, and they say what can we do to help, can we come put him in the parade. That type of thing."

The morning of the parade, the American Legion Auxiliary will provide a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. in the Miller and Lux Building.

Tickets are available in advance from any auxiliary member or at the door, and cost $7. The meal includes pancakes, scrambled eggs, ham, coffee and orange juice.

Helmrick said several military vehicles will be in the parade, including two troop carriers.

The Los Banos Fire Department will have an engine in the parade, and the Los Banos City Council will ride in the department's old fire ending.

Merced County Supervisor Jerry O'Banion will ride in a Merced County Fire truck.

A number of local and regional politicians and candidates, many of them currently locked in election battles, will be at the parade just a few days after the election, including Jim Costa, Adam Gray, Anthony Cannella and Johnn Teicheira, who Helmrick said has a giant welded eagle that will be in attendance.

"The only thing I didn't manage to get was a tank," Helmrick said.

"Now I did see a tank going through town the other day, and I almost called (Los Banos Police Chief) Gary Brizzee to see if he could impound it for a couple of months, and just give it back to them at the end."

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