PACOIMA, Calif. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District's Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) was among dozens of military and civilian vehicles--antique, classic and modern--in the sixth annual San Fernando Valley Veterans Day Parade Nov. 11.
The RRV, driven by emergency management's Alex Watt and led on-foot by security and law enforcement's Sgt. Maj. Jeff Koontz, showcased the district's rapid response capability to hundreds of spectators along the 1.1-mile route through the valley cities of San Fernando and Pacoima.
"If there's a disaster, we'll come in and help them out," said Watt. "Fires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes -- we're there to support them."
The RRV last deployed in 2005 to Texas in support of Hurricane Rita and provided an expedient tactical operations and communications platform for first responders.
Watt, a Vietnam-era Coast Guardsman who remembers the abuse servicemembers endured during and after the war, said it was good to see the response and respect given today's veterans.
"I'm just glad to be able to help participate in it [the parade]," he said, "and to remember the ones who haven't come back."
It was the first Veterans Day parade Koontz had participated in for quite a while.
"To see all the people come out and see all the support for the veterans of this country-it's pretty outstanding," said Koontz. The parade left him feeling mixed emotions, though. "You think about, you're here, you're safe and yet, you think about the people who are deployed right now. It's kind of a way to remember them, too."
The parade featured several veterans groups, high school marching bands and military units and their vehicles. World War II-era fighter planes and a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster performed flyovers of the parade route.
According to the parade's official Web site, U.S. Rep. Howard L. Berman, Los Angeles City Councilman Alex Padilla and Los Angeles County Veterans Advisory Commissioner Fred Flores established the Valley's Veterans Day parade in 2004 to pay tribute to America's heroes-veterans of the Armed Forces.
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