Big Crowds for Vet's Parade

ALTOONA, BLAIR COUNTY - A huge crowd converged on downtown Altoona   on this Federal Holiday for the Community's annual Veteran's Day parade.
    
The show of community support for the men and women who have served this country was welcomed by many of those honored.   People in charge of organizing the parade say they were pleased with the turnout.  In their view, when it comes to marking Veterans Day, there is no place like Altoona and the turn out for Monday's parade proves it.

Hundreds of people had already gathered curbside when the Blair County War Veteran's Council Parade stepped off at 10 in morning.  The near record crowds were well received by a number of veterans on hand to watch the parade.

Organizers of the Parade say it was important to have a number of community based organizations involved this year because they wanted to honor not only Veterans but the family members who support the people in uniform.  In their view, active duty members the military rely on their families especially when they get home from a deployment.  They believe the uniformed personnel need the support of their families to get things back to normal when they return home.   
 
 For many of those who turned out for the Altoona parade, showing support for the armed forces is a simple act of patriotism.  Veterans, both watching and taking part in the parade, say the turnout is what set the Altoona event apart, and makes them proud of this community.