Petaluma celebrates its veterans

<p>Petaluma celebrated America’s military men and women in grand style Wednesday at what turned out to be the largest North Bay Veterans Day Parade to date.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>A total of 120 entries participated in the parade, which featured marching bands, military jeeps, classic cars, horses, walking groups dressed in uniform and flyovers by vintage war planes and a military helicopter.</p><p>“It was the biggest crowd we’ve ever seen,” said parade organizer Steve Kemmerle. “People were coming up to me afterwards and saying, ‘This was the best parade we’ve ever seen.’”</p><p>The North Bay Veterans Day Parade is the largest parade of its kind in Northern California. It is now in it’s 20th year.</p><p>“There was great enthusiasm at the parade today,” said Karen Kemmerle, Steve’s wife. “As I went down the line at the parade staging area, there were just so many happy people. I think this was probably the best parade yet.”</p><p>One of the highlights this year was a T-34 Russian Tank and a Russian M-85 artillery piece, which the National Guard carried on a low-bed truck. Petaluma-based CamelBak sponsored the appearance of a Huey helicopter, which flew over the parade, along with Yak vintage planes and a P-51 Mustang.</p><p>“There were a lot of military jeeps and of course the Russian tank drew a lot of interest,” said Karen. “The horses were also a big hit.”</p><p>Another highlight was the Marin Mounted Sheriff’s Posse, which carried four Pearl Harbor survivors in green-fringed surreys.</p><p>“My matched grey horses generally get applause in parades, but Petaluma’s applause to the Pearl Harbor survivors went way beyond any expectation I could have had,” said Gary Sello of the Marin Mounted Sheriff’s Posse. “We followed the Posse color guard and four people with flags and a banner announcing who was in the surrey. The crowd stood, saluted, applauded, removed hats, shouted ‘thank you’ and showed such deep levels of appreciation that at times, I counted on my team to go where they should as my eyes were too moist to have focused vision.”</p><p>Grand Marshal for the parade was Army Lt. Col. Steve Countouriotis, a Petaluma resident who served multiple tours of duty flying Blackhawk helicopters in both Iraq and Afghanistan.</p><p>The parade was followed by a Veterans Day ceremony in Walnut Park featuring a speech by grand marshal Countouriotis, music and guest speakers.</p><p>(Contact Yovanna Bieberich at yovanna.bieberich@arguscourier.com)</p>