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Veteran's Day 2012!
The Fresno Veteran's Day Parade is the longest running Veteran's Parade in the U.S.!
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting that President Calvin Coolidge issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. A Congressional Act approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday: "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."
In 1945, WWII veteran Raymond Weeks from Birmingham, Alabama had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. Weeks led a delegation to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, who supported the idea of National Veterans Day. Weeks led the first national celebration in 1947 in Alabama and annually until his death in 1985. President Reagan honored Weeks at The White House with the Presidential Citizenship Medal in 1982 as the driving force for the national holiday. Elizabeth Dole, who prepared the briefing for President Reagan, determined Weeks as the "Father of Veterans Day." U.S. Representative Ed Rees from Emporia, Kansas, presented a bill establishing the holiday through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower, also from Kansas, signed the bill into law on May 26, 1954. Congress amended this act on June 1, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with "Veterans," and it has been known as Veterans Day since.
The National Veterans Award, created in 1954, also started in Birmingham, Alabama. Congressman Rees of Kansas was honored in Alabama as the first recipient of the award for his support offering legislation to make Veterans Day a federal holiday, which marked nine years of effort by Raymond Weeks. Weeks conceived the idea in 1945, petitioned Gen. Eisenhower in 1946, led the first Veterans Day celebration in 1947 (keeping the official name Armistice Day until Veterans Day was legal in 1954).
Although originally scheduled for celebration on November 11 of every year, starting in 1971 in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October. In 1978, it was moved back to its original celebration on November 11.
Pontiacs of Central California members were all proud to be involved in this great celebration!
Let's first honor our own Veterans, in no particular order (except rank does have it's privileges);
Lieutenant Colonel US Army, Sam Fisher;
Petty Officer Second Class US Navy, Jack Fusari;
Specialist Forth Class US Army, Bill Truckell;
Senior Airman US Air Force, Gayle Huls;
Sergeant US Army, Dennis Simonson;
Petty Officer Third Class US Navy, Brian Massey;
Specialist Fifth Class US Army, Ron Coppola
(Signed up, but missed the parade.)
And in memory.
Apologies to any veteran missed; this list was compiled from those that signed up for the parade.
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Last updated: November 12, 2012.