Patriotism on Parade

Drawn by postcard-perfect skies and the prospect of seeing a “true American hero,” thousands of cheering flag wavers lined up curbside along Sherman Way and nearby streets Monday for the community’s 11th annual Memorial Day Parade.

Kicked off at precisely 11 a.m. by former prisoner of war Army Staff Sgt. Andrew Ramirez, the parade offered spectators a chance to honor the nation’s war dead and get an up-close look at one military man who has become a media celebrity.

“It was very emotional for me,” said Marie Garcia of Reseda, who came out especially to see Ramirez. “He’s Hispanic and it makes me proud to see him honored.

“It’s my race and I feel proud, along with him,” added Garcia, whose husband served in Vietnam. “Like I have just a little piece of this too.”

Regular parade goers, and even parade officials, weren’t quite sure if the presence of Ramirez made a difference in the overall crowd count, which one official put at well over 50,000.

Parade co-chair Gary Pesset said he thought the crowd looked a tad thinner than normal, while others said the turnout seemed heavier.

In the stretch of Sherman Way that John Spottiswood of Canoga Park claims as his official perch each year, the crowd was heavier by nearly 30 people.

“We come every year,” said Spottiswood, who sported a red, white and blue stovepipe hat. “This year, we brought extra people from all over L.A.”

Elmer Caster, a vice commander with the California American Legion, also guessed that this parade, his fourth, might have attracted a somewhat larger crowd than previous outings.

“We’ve got people in harm’s way overseas,” Caster said, referring to the continuing crisis in Kosovo--the conflict that led to Ramirez’s 32 days of captivity. Ramirez and two other POWs were freed in early May after a delegation led by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, successfully negotiated with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

“We hope that stirs some feelings of patriotism,” Caster said.

Garcia and several other parade-goers said they supported the NATO bombing campaign in Kosovo, even though the number of civilian casualties is mounting. Most called the campaign “just” and “right.”

But one man’s just cause is another man’s “police action.”

Kevin Huling, a resident of neighboring Winnetka, disagrees with the bombing campaign, and had the same opinion about similar U.S.-led actions in the past.

“We shouldn’t be over there, like we shouldn’t have been in Somalia,” he said, referring to the U.S.-led effort to hunt down a Somali warlord.

Still, Huling thought it important to come out and honor the war dead.

Plus, he said, “We’re trapped. They closed off the streets so we can’t get out.”

Huling was positioned near the end of the parade route, and between floats was planning the menu for his afternoon barbecue. The owner of a Chatsworth soul food restaurant, Huling was also serving as chef for his family’s holiday gathering.

A few yards away, Ramirez and other VIPs who had completed the parade route were seated at the final viewing station, waving enthusiastically as drill teams and Cub Scout troops filed by.

Several in the crowd pressed to get a closer look at Ramirez.

To be sure, there were other celebrities.

Sharon Robinson of North Hills came to see her 18-year-old daughter, Taneka, a senior at Canoga Park High, take her last turn with the drill team.

Robinson didn’t see Ramirez and, like many other parents, was planning to leave as soon as her star shot by.

But for many in attendance, the main draw was the soft-spoken native of East L.A.

At the start of the route, Spottiswood had marked off his turf well before 9 a.m. But still, somehow, he managed to miss Ramirez.

“We caught the back end of his uniform,” joked Spottiswood. “But even that was a treat.”