January 28th, 2012
04:17 PM ET

Flag-waving parade crowd in St. Louis honors veterans

Sunny skies, a large billowing U.S. flag and an appreciative crowd greeted hundreds of Iraq war veterans who marched Saturday in St. Louis in a first-of-its kind "welcome home" ceremony.

Some participants rode motorcycles, while others rode in military trucks or on floats.

Many more veterans walked, waving to thousands who lined downtown streets.

Even a local institution, Anheuser-Busch's Clydesdale horse team, took part in "Welcome Home the Heroes."

Grassroots organizers billed the parade and related activities as the first such event in a major U.S. city.

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Filed under: Military • Missouri • U.S. • Veterans
soundoff (14 Responses)
  1. banasy©

    This is wonderful.
    I hope this is the first of many events that cities will facilitate in welcoming our vets...

    May they all come home, and come home *alive*...

    January 28, 2012 at 4:29 pm | Report abuse |
  2. gung hoe

    What a cool ideaJust to bad it wasnt done for the viet vets.Where ya there scottish momma?

    January 28, 2012 at 6:02 pm | Report abuse |
  3. bobcat (in a hat) ©

    It's great to see at least one city showing respect for our soldiers. Maybe this will be the beginning of a trend for the rest of the states to follow suit. Now if only the government will do right for these veterans and help them in whatever they need.

    January 28, 2012 at 6:10 pm | Report abuse |
  4. bobcat (in a hat) ©

    President Obama has been pushing for the vets to be hired under special programs. Hopefully these companies will honor the incentives so they can get on with their lives.

    January 28, 2012 at 6:58 pm | Report abuse |
  5. John Hopkins

    It was great to be there and see people honor our military for what they did in Iraqi regardless of our differences about the war. It was even cooler to see other veterans within the parade from past wars. They were honored as well. I hope other cities will follow suit. I think there was a career fair for them afterwards.

    January 28, 2012 at 6:59 pm | Report abuse |
  6. ms

    It really is great to see them welcomed home as the heroes they are. I have been out of work for a long time and i believe they should help them find jobs first.

    January 28, 2012 at 10:48 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Philip

    hogwash,just a bunch of flag waving hippies

    January 28, 2012 at 10:50 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Kitchen Benchtops

    Grassroots organizers billed the parade and related activities as the first such event in a major U.S. city. A beginner will enjoy this. Come alive!

    January 29, 2012 at 1:46 am | Report abuse |
  9. Kitchen Benchtops

    A beginner will enjoy this!

    January 29, 2012 at 2:00 am | Report abuse |
  10. rooney©

    That's great! I too hope it catches on and other cities start honoring vets in ways such as this.
    Also, I agree with bobcat (in a hat)©. More needs to be done to help our veterans. They deserve so much more help than they are receiving now.

    January 29, 2012 at 2:29 am | Report abuse |
  11. Deborah Evans

    All of our cities should be doing this. It's the least we can do while our men and women come back changed forever!

    January 29, 2012 at 4:19 am | Report abuse |
  12. Flag Waver

    Just womdering how many of their US flags have "made in China" stickers on them. God Bless America! (not China?)

    January 29, 2012 at 12:11 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy ©

      I made mine...it says "made on banasy's © sewing machine, using adult labor".
      Betsy hasn't got a thing on me.
      No Chinese crap for me.

      January 29, 2012 at 1:17 pm | Report abuse |
  13. 50 States Design Project

    Missouri is such a great cross section of America. This poster from the 50 states design project sums it up well.

    http://50statesdesignproject.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/19-meet-in-missouri/

    January 29, 2012 at 2:12 pm | Report abuse |
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