By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph residents honored area veterans today during the Veterans Day Parade through downtown St. Joseph.
Lt. Colonel David Jones, Jr, who directs the St. Joseph School District ROTC program, says high school cadets showed up to participate.
“This is a long-time standing tradition here in St. Joe,” Jones tells KFEQmmunity. “Three hundred cadets from three high schools unite to come together; Central High School, Lafayette, and Benton High School are here to march.”
Chair of the St. Joseph Joint Military Committee, Paul Gatewood, says it means a lot to area veterans that the high school students show up.
“It is more about these kids. And them honoring us as veterans is just awesome,” Gatewood says during a call to KFEQmmunity. “If it wasn’t for the kids, we wouldn’t have hardly any parade. We love these kids, a lot of our future military personnel.”
Gatewood, who organized the parade, says as a veteran he attempts to look outward at the service provided by his fellow veterans.
“You look at the other veterans and give them respect,” Gatewood says. “So, to me, Veterans Day is all about showing respect to our veterans and what they’ve done for our country.”
The parade had a special Grand Marshall. Milt Toratti, who has helped so many area veterans tell their stories, received the honor this year.
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