Thousands Honor Veterans In Annual Media Parade
MEDIA, Pa. (CBS) -- Thousands lined the streets of Media all Friday morning for the 58th annual Delaware County Veterans Day Parade.
A number of area middle and high school marching bands, veterans' groups, and community leaders made their way through the heart of town before ending in front of the courthouse to cheers from families and veterans watching from the sidewalks.
"Our family, we've been coming here for 40 years. Someone in my family has been marching in this parade," said Kristin Smith.
Smith stood out on a windy parade route to pay her respects to family, friends and even complete strangers. The cold and wind are nothing compared to what many of these veterans endured overseas.
Cpl. Pat Martino of Glenn Mills was among those watching, and he says it's nice to see the appreciation for the military, which wasn't always the case.
"I talk with a lot of them from Vietnam and from Korea and they say they wish they would have felt that way after those wars. It's a little late, but better late than never," Martino said.
"There are things that we can share with each other that we can't share with other people because they don't understand. It's just an emotional time for all of us veterans," said Vietnam veteran Mike Maguire.
Sen. Bob Casey was also on hand for the parade. Casey says the show of support is always important, but so is improving the care veterans receive after their service.
"We still have work to do in the VA to deliver better care and also to make sure that we do everything possible to give them all the opportunities that they've earned," said Casey.
The parade began 58 years ago when veterans of the Spanish-American War and World War I walked these very streets.
"My father was a veteran. My husband is a veteran and my son marches in the parade. It just means so much to all the veterans out here," Carla Burbo said.