American Bald Eagle, Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter Also Soar over Crowd
With a theme of “Hearts of Valor” the 2007 VA Veterans Day Parade will honor veterans who have been wounded by the enemy and have received the Purple Heart Medal, as well as all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, who have served our country in war or peacetime.
Several soldiers and marines who received Purple Heart Medals are serving as Grand Marshals of the parade, including four men who served in Iraq and one who served in Vietnam. The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration in the world in present use and the first American award made available to the common soldier. It is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy and posthumously to the next of kin of those who are killed in action or who die of wounds received in action.
The parade, which will be held on Monday, Nov. 12, will showcase four giant helium balloons. Making its debut this year, the Purple Heart balloon is the largest of the four, and features the image of Gen. George Washington, who created the decoration in 1782 as the Badge of Military Merit. The heart-shaped balloon depicts the medal’s detail, including the Washington coat of arms, a white shield with two red bars and three red stars, between sprays of green leaves.
Balloon inflation begins at 8 a.m. on parade day, in front of the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center entrance at Seventh Street and Indian School Road in Phoenix. It takes several hours and about 50 cylinders of helium to fill the four balloons. A team of 12 handlers from the Army and Air National Guard will help carry each balloon down the parade route.
An American bald eagle balloon, with outspread wings spanning 35 feet, will soar over the crowd assembled for the parade. The bald eagle, a species unique to North America, was chosen in 1782 as the emblem of the United States because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks. Serving as a symbol of freedom and perseverance for our nation, this will be the fifth year the eagle has flown over the Veterans Day Parade.
The American bald eagle will be joined by the Uncle Sam balloon. As a recruitment tool of the Armed Forces since World War I, Uncle Sam continues to inspire people to join all branches of the military in order to preserve and protect our freedom. The Uncle Sam balloon is 47 feet tall when inflated.
The 40-foot Rosie the Riveter balloon honors thousands of women who went to work on factory lines during World War II, while men were engaged in the war abroad. Government ads campaigning for women to join the workforce sparked the title “Rosie the Riveter,” and asked them to shed their aprons and skirts for overalls, work boots, and handkerchiefs. In countless conflicts, women have served stateside in the military or in their civilian roles to support our country and our military.
The parade, which begins at 11 a.m., will take a zigzag route, heading North on 7th Street from Montecito to Camelback Road. It will turn west on Camelback and proceed to Central Avenue, and then turn north on Central to Montebello, just north of Bethany Home Road, where it will destage at the North Phoenix Baptist Church.
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With a theme of “Hearts of Valor” the 2007 VA Veterans Day Parade will honor veterans who have been wounded by the enemy and have received the Purple Heart Medal, as well as all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, who have served our country in war or peacetime.