Vandenberg Airmen participate in Armed Forces Day Parade
By Senior Airman Steve Bauer, 30th Space Wing Public Affairs
/ Published May 22, 2011
TORRANCE, Calif. -- Members from Vandenberg Air Force Base participated in the 52nd Annual Armed Forces Day Parade here May 21.
The annual parade, which originated in 1960, is hailed as being the nation's longest running military parade sponsored by any city in the United States.
Wearing the Airman Battle Uniform, the members from Vandenberg followed the parade's entourage of military color guards, military marching bands, high school marching bands, uniformed troops, military drill teams, military vehicles and units from the National Guard, Reserve Officer Training Corps and military reserve.
The parade began at Crenshaw Boulevard at 1:30 p.m. The majority of the parade's route took place heading west along Torrance Boulevard. More than 100,000 people lined both sides of the streets from Crenshaw Boulevard all the way to the parade's ending point at Madrona Avenue.
The honored branch of the military in Torrance's 2011 Armed Forces Day Parade was the U.S. Army. Each year the parade honors a different branch of the service. The Air Force is slated to be the honored branch in 2012.
According to the city of Torrance's website (
www.torranceca.gov), the history of the parade came about when, "Mayor Al Isen, with the help of the Torrance Chamber of Commerce, organized the first parade as a tribute to friends and fellow Americans who had served in the Armed Forces. The parade has grown over the years to become one of America's most eagerly awaited demonstrations of patriotism."