Among the many vehicles that traveled down Laurel Canyon Boulevard for the 23rd Annual San Fernando Valley Veterans Day Parade, all to the waves and cheers of community members who lined the street, one entry that stood out was a city bus carrying more than 50 passengers.
On that bus were proud veterans and families of the Jewish War Veterans Post 603, located in West Hills, and they led the parade as the post collectively held the title of this year’s grand marshal.
Fred Flores, a Marine Corps veteran and the founder of the parade, said he wanted to honor the post for its work not just with fellow veterans, but for their benevolence within the community. The post donated $75,000 to the West Los Angeles Veteran Affairs Medical Center for new flooring, and gave a $10,000 grant to six high schools to enrich their JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) programs, as well as $2,500 scholarships to four graduating seniors at each of those schools.
Post Commander Arnold Krane said he was honored by the recognition his post received, adding that the Jewish War Veterans (JWV), founded in 1896, is the oldest national veterans organization active in the United States.
“There are a lot of Jews who were in the military and still are,” said Krane. “We have been around for a long time, and we have been participating in the United States military, including myself, my two brothers, my brothers-in-law and my nephews.”
Krane served in the Navy’s Construction Battalion (CB), otherwise known as the Seabees, during the Vietnam War. He was in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive – when the North Vietnamese army and the Viet Cong launched a surprise attack on the U.S. forces and their allies – helping medevacs transport wounded soldiers.
He was overseas for nine months before returning home to his family. While Krane didn’t personally receive a negative reception from people who opposed the war, which is still controversial to this day, he has heard of other veterans who felt they were welcomed home poorly.
That’s why Krane feels it’s important that people never forget veterans and their sacrifices, adding that if it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be here.
“I just want to make sure that veterans are honored and that the youth of today know why they have their freedom,” Krane said. “It sounds simple, but freedom isn’t free. This is what these parades are all about. It’s not just to have fun and wave your hand. There’s a rationality behind it, and that’s to remember the veterans who … risked their lives for your freedom.”
Still, he believes that the “greatest generation” in the U.S. will be the one that doesn’t see any war.
Joining Krane on the bus were sisters, Holly and April. They both came out to honor their father, an Army Ranger in the First Special Service Force – an elite joint American-Canadian commando unit that formed in World War II. The unit would later evolve into other specialized forces, including the Green Berets.
April has been part of the parade for 10 years, saying that the post being named the grand marshal was “truly an honor. We have been an active organization for many years, and the word is getting out about the wonderful things we do for the veterans associations, and just being part of this is a true honor and delight.”
Holly, who joined the parade for the first time this year, said, “It’s wonderful to see so many organizations, so many individuals representing their relatives who were in the service. This is a wonderful event.”
Continued Uncertainty
While the parade is a mainstay in the northeast valley, the organizers have faced extra bumps in the road these past couple of years. As reported by the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol last year, Flores was given an invoice for the first time for the cost of traffic police and freeway closures from the city of LA.
That bill caused worry and uncertainty about the future of the parade, as Flores and the organizers lacked the means to pay for it all themselves. Fortunately, city councilmembers stepped in to cover the cost, and the annual event was held as scheduled.
Flores was given another invoice this year, but said Councilmember Monica Rodriguez took care of the bill, with the help of Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez, State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, who is also a veteran, and Councilmember Imelda Padilla.
“Everybody said the same thing: ‘It’s ridiculous that you have to be charged to honor veterans,’” said Flores. “It really is ridiculous what we have to go through for us to hold a parade in the valley.”
He’s unsure if Rodriguez will still be able to handle the invoice again next year, but Flores was told by the city that, for next year, they’ll be mandating that water barricades be placed along the parade route, which will likely raise the cost. This is because water barricades will be used for the upcoming Olympics, and this mandate is being applied to other events citywide.
“I told them, ‘You know that this is going to impact people who put parades together, like me,’” Flores said. “I just want to continue making a venue that honors veterans and their families. That’s it.”
For more information on JWV Post 603, visit https://www.jwvpost603.com.