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.
CUPERTINO TRIBUTE: Of course, while San Jose’s celebration is the biggest in the area, it’s far from the only one. In Cupertino, former Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey and retired Navy SEAL Commander Thomas Deitz will speak Saturday at the Veterans Day celebration at the Cupertino Veterans Memorial at 10110 Parkwood Drive.
The free event, which begins at 11 a.m., will include performances by the Miller Middle School Choir, the West Bay Community Band and bagpiper Joe Roberts of the Stuart Highlanders, as well as remarks by Cupertino Vice Mayor Sheila Mohan and De Anza College President Lloyd Holmes.
SPORTS STARS SHINE: The 28th annual San Jose Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at SAP Center on Wednesday night really may have been the event’s biggest night ever, with an all-star class of Major League Baseball pitching ace Dave Stieb, soccer star Lorrie Fair, San Jose Earthquakes legend Chris Wondolowski and “Mr. San Jose Shark” himself, Patrick Marleau.
Only Stieb had established himself when the hall of fame inducted its first class in 1995, so it seems pretty likely that Santa Clara County will continue to produce athletes worthy of enshrinement for decades to come. Besides the hall of fame inductees and Special Olympian of the Year Mathew Francavilla — who received the first of two standing ovations of the night, the other went to Marleau. The event also honored athletes who may likely have illustrious careers ahead of them.
Archbishop Mitty basketball player McKenna Woliczko and Mitty football player Danny Scudero Jr. (now at Sacramento State) were honored as the high school athletes of the year, and Stanford University golfer Rose Zhang and Stanford baseball player Tommy Troy were selected as amateur athletes of the year. Keep an eye on those names. You just might see them inducted into the hall one day, too.
