Loading ...The City of Los Angeles held its First Annual Veterans Appreciation Festival on Saturday November 10, 2012 at the USS Iowa.
The following is a collection of photos from 2012 Los Angeles Veterans Appreciation Festival, courtesy of Port of Los Angeles.
Patriotic Harley Riders from as far as Bakersfield came to pay tribute to the veterans of Los Angeles….
……riding their bikes around the circumference of the event….
….proudly displaying the U.S. flags in support of the veterans.
The Mayor delivered an inspirational speech…..
….to thousands of onlookers….
…who needed to hear that their sacrifices were not in vain.
In attendance were 80 to 90 year old World War II Veterans, including bronze star medal and purple heart recipients….
…..including Veteran Angel De La Cruz, who went on a hunger strike in 1997 (Mayor visited him in the hospital) to make a statement on the plight of the Filipino WWII Veterans who were promised benefits but eventually denied due to the Rescission Act of 1946.
“Rock for Vets” a music program for veterans who are recovering from addiction rocked the house….
…and some dressed up to the nostalgia of the occasion,…
while others because they are current Officers of the United States Army. Do you recognize Mayor’s staff BJ Threatt chatting with the Mayor?
Mayor along with Councilman Buscaino and Garcetti shook hundreds of hands while walking through the crowd…
…while many veterans were checking out the resource fair which provided free services to the veterans.
But the children of the veterans were the real winners at this event…
…because they got to see their fathers and their mothers for who they really are – the heroes among us.
As a result of the event, thousands of veterans throughout the city know now that “we’ve got your back.”
Veterans were very happy!
