500 Gather to Support Troops in Gulf : Rallies: Ventura is the site of a massive patriotic display, while at smaller gatherings, hope for a diplomatic solution springs eternal.

People lined the streets as they would for a Fourth of July parade, clad in the country’s colors, waving hundreds of tiny flags and whooping in support of troops in the Persian Gulf.

In Ventura on Saturday, grandparents instructed their grandchildren to show respect for the red, white and blue. Businesses handed out yellow ribbons, roses and “Support the Troops” buttons. Vietnam and Korean veterans, bikers and first-time activists toted signs reading “God Bless America” and “Kick Butt and Come Home Soon.”

More than 500 county residents crowded near the County Government Center at the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Telephone Road screaming for passing motorists to honk their horns for the troops. Smaller gatherings of 50 to 60 people rallied in Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Oxnard.

“I think this is a jubilant event,” said Pati Longo, 63, one of the Ventura rally organizers, as she handed out everything from bumper stickers to addresses of local military personnel. “This really shows that the silent majority is not going to remain silent any longer.”

Across town, on the second weekend since war broke out in the Middle East, about 30 residents called for peace and a diplomatic end to the conflict. In Oxnard that morning and later in Ventura, people flashed the peace symbol at passing cars and held up signs supporting the troops, urging negotiations and calling for increased funds for social programs.

“They’re having a party,” said Ventura resident Judy Nahl about the government center crowd. “I don’t believe imperialistic moves by the United States government should be considered patriotic.”

At least 45 peace demonstrators from Ventura and 50 from Thousand Oaks chartered buses to participate in activities in Los Angeles, organizers said, lowering the number of those rallying for peace locally.

In Simi Valley, about 50 pro-troop demonstrators gathered at two rallies, one at First Street and Los Angeles Avenue and another at Cochran Street and Galena Avenue. And in Thousand Oaks, a handful of peace activists gathered at the intersection of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Moorpark Road.

At the government center, a huge crane donated by a local construction-equipment rental business suspended a flag 80 feet off the ground.

“We got a lot of thumbs up,” said Ventura resident Tom Tatangelo. “We’ve got the biggest flag. . . . And I’m proud of what the hell’s going on.”

“I wish I’d have brought my camera,” said Roy Hodge, 48, of Fillmore. “It gives you a feeling down deep--it’s hard to put in words--when you see people supporting something like this.”

Several of the demonstrators said they support not only the troops but President Bush’s authorization to bomb Iraq. Others said they backed the troops but not the government’s actions.

“Hate the War Not the Warrior” read a sign held by Bill Leighton, an Army paratrooper during the Vietnam War.

“I see this turning into a carnival,” Leighton, a 44-year-old construction worker from Piru, said of the mood at the center. “It’s the government that created this mess. Unfortunately, the soldier is going to have to get us out of it.”