Oceanside Honors Hometown Heroes : Parade: About 80,000 people celebrate the return of Persian Gulf War veterans. Emotions run high as Marines march past.

About 80,000 cheering spectators lined downtown streets Saturday as rows of young U.S. Marines paraded by, sparking emotional scenes during the West Coast’s largest homecoming celebration since the Persian Gulf War ended.

The parade saluted troops who fought against Iraq and also was a belated gesture to the graying veterans of Vietnam who long ago came home to silence and scorn.

“I was emotional, I was marching, and wow, everybody’s cheering me on,” said Gulf veteran Sgt. Tim Harrington, who stepped up Hill Street with hundreds of Marines just returned from the Persian Gulf.

Another ebullient Marine from nearby Camp Pendleton, Staff Sgt. Evan Chang, said the parade brought out “a tremendous elation, a swelling in my chest. People were clapping and screaming.”

But for all the joy, the unashamed tears and patriotism, it was clear that no two-hour procession, no matter what its heartfelt intent, could erase any disappointment that lingered from the Vietnam era.

One of the most chilling and poignant scenes occurred as a band of Vietnam veterans, some with long beards, balding heads and decades-old uniforms, walked along slowly.

Suddenly from the crowd, a Marine officer bolted into the street and embraced the Vietnam veterans. Some spectators were so touched at the sight they began to weep. Others were moved to simply bow or shake their heads.

But the mood was otherwise festive as units from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force seized recognition in a town that has economically and spiritually risen and fallen with the Marines since the military arrived in 1942.

The parade had the requisite participation by high school bands, pom-pom girls and politicians, but it was only when the troops passed by with rifles slung over their shoulders did cheers and whistles go into high decibels.

“I wanted my son to be here for this,” said Francisco Manilla of Oceanside, holding his 16-month-old son up to see the Marines. “And I wanted to show a little respect and admiration.”

Another spectator, Roger Hodges of Escondido, said, “It’s been a long time since our country pulled together like this.”

Military hardware was shown off, including a tank, a howitzer and an amphibious vehicle decorated with the words “Helter Skelter” and “Revelations 6:8.” The latter refers to a scriptural passage reading, “And behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed on him.”

There were also Medal of Honor holders, Pearl Harbor survivors and a contingent of veterans with a banner reading “We Served Proudly, Gay and Lesbian Veterans.”

Signs of commercialism were as abundant as the crowds. Parade entries included vehicles representing radio shows, fast-food chains and more. A biplane droning overhead trailed a sign noting that a soft-drink company saluted the troops. And on a sidewalk, a man dressed in an Uncle Sam costume handed out brochures about beachfront condos for sale.

But if that seemed like a contradiction, Oceanside is the place for it.

It has loved and hated its Marines, the low point being in the early ‘70s with the rampant drug abuse and violence of some troubled servicemen who returned from Vietnam. There were spirited anti-war protests back then.

Today, about the only reminder of that era is a lone head shop on Hill Street, the downtown’s main drag. And it’s across the street from a gun shop displaying a paper target of Saddam Hussein in the window.

Two parade celebrities, Lt. Col. Clifford Acree and Chief Warrant Officer Guy Hunter, got a big thrill when a 47-by-82-foot American flag was carried horizontally down the street by dozens of Marines, aided by Russian-born comic Yakov Smirnoff.

Acree and Hunter, who were taken prisoner when their reconnaissance aircraft was shot down by an enemy missile, were the parade’s guests of honor.

As the massive flag approached, Hunter stood on a sidewalk chair and videotaped it while Acree wandered into the street to gaze at the scene. After it passed, Acree said, “That flag was the prettiest sight I’ve seen since I’ve been a free man.”

But not everybody felt entirely free to celebrate; some Vietnam veterans said they had mixed feelings about the parade.

Thomas Fields of Escondido, who served in Vietnam as a Navy radioman, said, “When I came back, we had to sneak off the ship.” The parade and the fellow Vietnam veterans who participated brought him satisfaction and peace.

“I kind of had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes,” Fields said.

Larry Hughes of Orange County, a wounded and decorated Vietnam combat veteran, said he came to the parade to honor Persian Gulf War troops, but the event doesn’t make things right for those who served in Vietnam.

“This parade isn’t going to forgive Vietnam or what the American public did to us,” Hughes said. He believes bad feelings will linger as long as Vietnam veterans suffer from the affects of Agent Orange and other problems and some troops remain missing.

The Oceanside Police Department estimated the crowd at about 80,000 people, and Lt. Gen. Walter Boomer, who commanded Marine forces in the Gulf, said, “It’s been a great homecoming. We’ll never forget it.”