Young and old and in-between cheer veterans in Modesto parade

Families with young to teen children dotted the Veterans Day Parade route in downtown Modesto on Wednesday morning, helping instill in the youth an appreciation for the men and women who’ve served and sacrificed for our nation.

Jill and Andy Cross sat with their 3-year-old, Melanie, and 6-year-old, Brayden, who’s a first-grader at Dieterich Elementary. Because the family had the day off from work and school, Andy said, he and his wife chose to do something to recognize the holiday. “Her dad was in the military, and I have a nephew about to join,” he said. “We want the kids to know what Veterans Day is about.”

Former Marine Lou Calderon and his fiancée, Erin Harrison, came from Patterson and were watching with their son, Mason, 4. “We told him we’re out here to support those men and women who have served our country and were fortunate enough to return,” Calderon said.

“This is our third year out here,” Harrison added.

Between the couple’s families, there’s a rich history of military service, including all branches and conflicts from World War II through Korea, Vietnam, Somalia and Kuwait. “My brother is in the Navy and did two tours in Iraq,” Harrison said. “My grandfather was a radio man in World War II and Korea.”

Another 4-year-old, Kayden Anderson, sat with his father, Nick, whose grandfather served in the Navy for 34 years. “So I’m here to support him, but mainly because it’s Veterans Day,” Nick said. Of course, to Kayden, the parade was mostly about cool cars and firetrucks, his dad said.

At that, Kayden exclaimed. “I love firetrucks ... firetrucks and race cars!”

He didn’t know what the word “veterans” meant, but he did understand that the men and women walking and riding past him were heroes – real-life versions of the toy Army men he plays with.

From Riverbank, Brooke Jordan Rieger brought daughter Erin, 7, to enjoy the parade. The veteran on Brooke’s mind was her grandfather, E. Robert Jordan, who served in World War II and, she believes, the Korean War.

Brooke’s middle name honors her grandfather, who was in the Navy and served on warships that came under attack by Japanese kamikaze pilots, she said. He wrote a book, titled “Chief,” about his life and how he was brought up.

Esmeralda Ayala of Modesto was out to cheer on her 11-year-old daughter, Yanitzia Escoto, 11, a Kirschen School student. It’s possible Yanitzia could be a service member herself someday. She was in the parade as a Navy sea cadet, a program she joined about four months ago and really enjoys, her mom said.

The turnout for the Veterans Day Parade was a small fraction of that for Modesto’s Fourth of July and Christmas parades, but those who attended showed their appreciation by waving flags and calling out thanks to vets and others in the procession.

Especially vocal was Ronnie LaGro, who stepped out of his office at Turning Point Community Programs on Needham Street. “I have a front-row window but wanted to come out to watch,” he said.

LaGro whooped and shouted his appreciation to many of the groups participating in the parade. “Wooo, high-schoolers, yeah! Lookin’ great,” he called as the Downey High marching band passed.

“You guys rock! ... Webelos!” he cheered as a Boy Scout group went by.

“Thank you for your service,” he called to a marching veterans group. “Keep on keeping on!”

LaGro, whose best friend and grandfather both served in the Navy, said he was disappointed by the light turnout and the relative quiet among spectators. “We should be celebrating,” he said, noting that more Modestans should have made time for the short parade. “It’s only four blocks long and it’s still early in the day. ... Where’s the give and take in our excitement for what we’ve done?”

It’s because of veterans that he could stand on a street corner and say what he pleased, LaGro said, so he was going to exercise that right. “I could be shouting horrible profanities and have the right to do so,” he said. “People could not like it and call me rude, but they couldn’t say I didn’t have the right to do it. They’ve (veterans) fought for that right and their compatriots have died for it.”

Toward the end of the parade route stood Eric Kjeldgaard of Oakdale and his family. “Both my father and my wife’s father served, and though I didn’t, I feel it’s important to bring (the children) out on Veterans Day and to remember on Memorial Day. It’s a way to thank them for humbly serving.”

Son Jack, 11, carrying a sign that thanked the veterans for their service, said attending the parade has “just been a tradition – we always come out.”

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 2:03 PM with the headline "Young and old and in-between cheer veterans in Modesto parade."