LA County throngs turn out under sunny skies to honor those who served – Daily News

Blue skies and ideal weather welcomed Southern Californians who turned out by the thousands to honor their myriad neighbors who served the nation in the armed forces.

Among the most homespun of tributes, the San Fernando Valley Veterans Day parade returned on Saturday at 11:11 a.m. as it does on the holiday each year.

Regarded widely as the biggest Veterans Day event in Los Angeles County, the parade held to its tradition of allowing only vets and their families ride in the 1.1-mile-long procession, which wound from Laurel Canyon and San Fernando Mission boulevards in Mission Hills, down Laurel Canyon Boulevard, and finally to Paxton Street at the Ritchie Valens Recreation Center in Pacoima.

Sen. Caroline Menjivar, D-Panorama City, served as the grand marshal.

Menjivar served in the Marine Corps from 2009-16, enlisting when she was 20, shortly after receiving an associate’s degree in fire technology from Los Angeles Valley College. She had hoped to be a Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter, but a hiring freeze prompted by the recession delayed that plan.

“When I was in high school, I was part of the Police Academy Magnet where our main teacher was a Marine veteran,” Menjivar, a Reseda High School graduate, said. “Each time we ran, we would run to a Marine Corps cadence. We would do mini-obstacle courses copied after the courses Marine recruits had to complete.

“He spoke about the camaraderie, the physicality needed to be a Marine, and the fact that they were known as the best. I wanted to be part of that, I wanted to be ready for the fire department when they started hiring again, and I loved being on teams, so I joined the Marine Corps.”

Menjivar was mainly stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego and served as a radio operator and platoon sergeant. She was briefly stationed at Camp Pendleton where she also worked as a military police officer.

Menjivar was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal and twice awarded the Marine Corps Reserve Medal.

What asked what she learned in the Corps, Menjivar responded, “It’s all relative! When I think about boot camp, when I think about all the things I did while in the Corps, nothing seems as hard as what I went through.

“Those 10-mile hikes, out in the field without showering, standing at attention under the sun, working out all the time, getting screamed out, sleepless nights, really early mornings, and ‘hurry up and wait,’ is the bar I compare everything to. I am very flexible, I can adjust on the spot, I can be in uncomfortable situations, I can work forever, I follow direction, I’m a team player and, overall, the leadership skills I’ve learned are invaluable.”

Menjivar called “wearing the uniform, especially the dress blues,” the highlight of her Marine Corps service.

“The camaraderie is what I miss the most, which is why I will light up each time I am around another Marine,” Menjivar said. “I loved being at the shooting range, shooting all types of weapons, throwing grenades, but my favorite was practicing with a an M249 light machine gun.

“It definitely didn’t hurt to be a sergeant in charge of about 50 Marines and leading their daily schedules, especially as a woman.”

Menjivar said her service in the Marine Corps “made me the person I am today.”

“The Marine Corps saved my life,” she said. “I was dealing with familial issues, trying to find a place to land, to feel part of something bigger and Marine Corps did just that.

“It was the best decision I could have made. I got to work with all types of people from across the country and now have friends in every corner of the states. Marines, no matter if we’ve never met will always be there for each other, because we are ‘Semper Fidelis.”‘

The popular parade, which draws thousands of Angelenos, was founded by Fred A. Flores, a U.S. Marine veteran.

“Veterans Day is about honoring our veterans and their family members for their sacrifices, their service and commitment to our country and community we live in,” said Flores, who thanked state Assemblywoman Luz Rivas and Los Angeles City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez for their help with the parade.