Veterans Day celebration in Long Beach

The Gulf Coast always has special ways to honor our veterans and Long Beach is no different.

A sea of red, white, and blue took the streets of Long Beach as a way to celebrate Veterans Day with patriotism running true not only with veterans, but also with the citizens of Long Beach.  Long Beach Mayor George Bass said, “It’s wonderful that we do have our veterans here and that we get to take the opportunity, not just the city, but the citizens that are here. They came out today and they’re just saying thank you for your service. You know without veterans there’s a good chance that we wouldn’t be here or be able to celebrate this.”

Long Beach resident Ronald Durham served for many years in the Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard. The military took him all over the world and this day reminds him why he chose the Coast as his home. “It’s just neat to have been able to serve all those branches and all the people. I am just very proud to be a part of these people here and I’m thankful to the people that remember us.”

To Durham, this celebration gives people a chance to see the bigger picture. “It’s neat to see patriotism and not politics. People honoring their country, remembering those of us who have served our country and them being proud enough to help us with that. It’s just a joy. You see so much violence and so much anger. Days like today we get together and remember what is right in our country.”

The city has been putting on this parade and celebration on the town green for six years and they say every year they see more people come to wave their American flags and thank those who give us our freedom. “You know, we’re very happy that it’s growing and growing. We’re a small town, America and this just shines today at what we are,” said Mayor Bass.