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Kelly Ledezma has worn a Bryan High School band uniform and marched in the Bryan Rotary Club Veterans Day Parade for the past four years.
This year, the 18-year-old graduate stood on a sidewalk and watched, wearing a shirt that gave insight into at least one of the reasons she was there: "Army Wife -- Toughest Job in the World."
Her husband, Daniel, is going through boot camp at Fort Sill, Okla., so Ledezma came to honor his service while watching her grandfather, Terry Rosser, a Vietnam veteran who was riding on a float called the "Been Shot At" put together by the Career Aviation Club. Ledezma's father, Victor Johnson, served in the Navy.
Hundreds showed up for the seventh annual parade that wound down Bryan Avenue and Main Street on Sunday afternoon. Roughly 400 people rode a float or car, or walked the parade route, including Bryan and Rudder high school marching band.
Mike Southerland, chairman of the Bryan Rotary Club's parade committee, said he's not concerned by the fact that the turnout was smaller than previous years.
"The important thing is that we have the parade and thank and honor the veterans, that we show our appreciation. That's what this is about," he said.
Capt. Alex Tran stood with his wife and three children on Bryan Avenue to watch the parade. A year ago, the 1997 Aggie graduate deployed to Afghanistan, and his family marched in the parade to honor him. He serves with the 420th Engineer Brigade, a Bryan-based unit of the Army Reserves.
Capt. Alex Tran stood with his wife and three children on Bryan Avenue to watch the parade. A year ago, the 1997 Aggie graduate deployed to Afghanistan, and his family marched in the parade to honor him. He serves with the 420th Engineer Brigade, a Bryan-based unit of the Army Reserves.
"Anytime there's support for soldiers and servicemen overseas, I think it's great," Tran said.
Disabled Vietnam veteran Arthur Betties rode a motorized wheelchair in the parade. He could have gone on a float but decided he wanted to remind people to honor disabled veterans. The Bryan resident served three years in the Army, including one year in Vietnam.
"It's an honor to be in this parade for veterans who served our country," he said.
Betties, 62, is a member of four veterans organizations: Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans and the American Legion. He said that he's so involved because he wants veterans to be informed when they return from wars.
"A lot of veterans don't know what to do and don't know about their benefits," Betties said.
Southerland, who served in Vietnam for one year in the late 1960s after he was drafted in 1966, retired in 1989, but never forgot his roots. He has organized the parade since it began.
