VFW Post 1760 | MesaVFW.org - published December 27th, 2020
Dode Morris VFW Post 1760 honored our nation’s veterans in an unusual Veterans’ Day parade. Instead of the parade entries rolling down a parade route lined with spectators, the entries became static displays lining the east side of Center Street. The Mesa Police Department and volunteers lined up the parade spectators in their cars and trucks at the Mesa Convention Center, releasing them one column at a time to roll down the parade route and view the displays. It was a great success, with so many people attending that it took 2 1/2 hours from the first car to the last rolling down the parade route.
A few photographs tell the story of the parade and the Mesa VFW contribution.
Dode Morris VFW Post 1760 post and auxiliary members repurposed the 2020 float. This was flanked by two armored car/ wheeled reconnaissance vehicles and a canopy tent.
This is the first vehicle to greet spectators as they approached the Mesa VFW display.This is the trail vehicle. Notice that the first vehicle had an enclosed turret with light cannon, while this vehicle has a heavy machine-gun ring.We were privileged to honor Tom Collins. He was forced to eject over North Vietnam October 18, 1965 and served with honor as a POW until his release February 12, 1973 as part of Operation Homecoming.Post 1760 member Bob Burns reviews the troops.The reverse parade became a parade, as people decorated their vehicles for the drive down the stationary display parade route.This enthusiastic crew drove the route twice! That meant getting queued up twice in the marshalling yards.The East Valley Veterans Day Parade has a long tradition of East Valley Air Force Junior ROTCs marching with banners honoring all of Arizona’s fallen warriors since 9/11. This year, the banners were carefully places every six feet along the route, across the street from the displays.Vehicles lined up to enter parade route.World War II era war birds from the Commemorative Air Force fly over the parade route.
A great deal of work goes into the Dode Morris Post entry every year. A big thank you to all who participated:
