San Jose’s Veterans Day parade includes a Silicon Valley twist
By SAL PIZARRO | spizarro@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: November 9, 2023 at 2:17 p.m. | UPDATED: November 10, 2023 at 4:23 a.m.
Rear Adm. Anne Swap will be grand marshal of city’s 104th annual celebration
Member of the Welcome Home “Doughboys” of World War I Greg Tiede, left, Ed Archer, center, and Gregg Greenwood, march during the Veterans Day parade in downtown San Jose, Calif., on Nov. 11, 2022. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
When San Jose’s 105th Veterans Day celebration takes place downtown Saturday, it’ll include all the familiar staples we associate with the event: a ceremony honoring those who serve in our armed forces and a parade filled with politicians waving from convertibles, veterans’ groups, marching bands, fleets of both classic cars and military vehicles and even a flyover from the Air National Guard Rescue Wing out of Moffett Field.
But there’ll also be an “only in Silicon Valley” aspect to this year’s parade: The grand marshal isn’t a U.S. Army general or Navy admiral. It’s Douglas A. Beck, a former vice president at Apple for 14 years who now serves as the director of the Defense Innovation Unit, where he oversees the Department of Defense’s adoption of commercial technology. Of course, he’s also veteran, a decorated captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve who served in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2006-07 during his 26 years of military service.
Beck said in a statement that veterans represent the best in America — the strength of diversity, a commitment to common purpose, a relentless can-do spirit and a belief in service above self. “These American strengths are exemplified right here in the valley and I am honored to be part of this celebration alongside so many Bay Area veterans,” he said.
Former San Jose Vice Mayor Rose Herrera, who now serves as president of the United Veterans Council of Santa Clara County, said the parade will be bigger and better this year with more groups participating. That may be helped by Veterans Day — commemorating the Nov. 11, 1918 armistice that ended World War I — falling on a Saturday for the first time since 2017 (although government offices, schools and some businesses are observing the holiday on Friday).
The public is invited to a ceremony scheduled to begin at 10:45 a.m. at the reviewing stand on South Market Street at Park Avenue, across from Plaza de Cesar Chavez. The parade will start at noon from SAP Center, traveling the regular route along Santa Clara Street before turning south on Market. While thousands of people are expected to line the parade route, waving flags and cheering on everyone, the parade also will be streamed live on CreaTV’s YouTube channel. You can also find more information on the parade, including parking tips, at sjveteransparade.org.