There are more veterans than ever in the country because of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yesterday, San Jose paid tribute to these men and women, and to veterans from all of America’s other wars, with the largest Veterans Day parade in the Bay Area. Marching in the parade were representatives from every branch of the service, who fought around the globe during World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and the many other conflicts that America fought over the years.  The Grand Marshall of the Parade was Denny Weisgerber, former Mayor of Milpitas and a veteran of the Korean War.

What set this year’s parade apart was the bold evidence that the Cold War is over. Among those marching was a contingent of octogenarian Soviet veterans of the Great War, as Russia calls World War II. 

Mayor Chuck Reed, himself a veteran, addressed the crowds. “We’ve paid a very high price for freedom, and it’s definitely not free. he men and women that have served in our military over the years have given us that freedom that they have paid a very dear price for, in many cases with their own lives.” Reed, who served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, has an unusual military record. He was only the ninth person in the history of the Air Force Academy to get the top score on the Academy’s rigorous Physical Fitness Test. Later, his daughter graduated at the top of her class from the same Academy, making them the first father and daughter to graduate from there. The Mayor’s daughter and his son are both on active duty.
Read More at CBS 5.