Huntington Beach 4th of July Parade

[kanowarrior]

Once again it's time for the 4th of July Parade in Huntington Beach. I will be there with my jeep as always and this time I'm trying to get a WWII veteran to attend with us.

Alex Castro was one of the engineers that was responsible for literally stopping the German advance at the Battle of the Bulge. Well documented in both book and movies under the title, "Those Damned Engineers", they blew the bridges just ahead of the German spearhead in the opening stages of the battle. Alex Castro actually was the person who pushed the plunger on the last bridge they blew right in the face of the advancing Germans. Later Pieper would comment that the single one thing that stalled his advance the most was, "Those damned engineers!".

Today Alex Castro runs a modest barber shop in downtown Artesia. Thanks to Jeff Finney for first contacting Mr. Castro. He has agreed to attend but still needs to be followed up on.

Details of the parade to follow in another post.

[kanowarrior]

THE HUNTINGTON BEACH PARADE RULES & PLAN OF THE DAY

Since the date is drawing near, I know some folks might be gearing up to attend this large event. Because of problems I've noticed in the past as well as the fact that the club pays to attend this event, I wanted to lay the ground rules with plenty of time ahead of the event. I will also post this to the CHG Message Board under the appropriate topic heading and will have our Webmaster, Dave, post it on the CHG events page under the appropriate section, as well. Please canvas your membership to find out who is planning on attending and be sure that they have this information on hand.

The Plan of the Day

We will meet at the Seacliffe Village Shopping Center, on the corner of Goldenwest and Garfield. We traditionally park and meet in the parking lot next to the McDonald's. We typically meet around 0800 and head out to the parade kick off area no later than 0900. If you miss us, you will need to find your way to the parade check-in, which is located on Walnut and 9th, to find out where we are. We will be listed as "The California Historical Group." Please be aware that parking is impossible in the neighborhood near check-in and staging and that some areas will be blocked. Best advice is to show up at 0800 to get a ride to the staging area so you can leave your car parked.

Due to complaints by plast attendees, difficulty hearing cadence, and the lack of marching experience by most, we will not be marching for this parade. I will consider it on the turn from PCH to Main Street, where the TV cameras are and city dignitaries. However, in the past, the marching has been so sloppy, I think we do more harm trying to attempt it. I will assess the situation before kick off based on who's attending and how many we have and make the final call there. Irregardless, we will certainly not march for the duration of the parade after that point.

We are alotted two military vehicles. At this time, I do not have anyone listed for these slots. I also do not know if Walt Ehlers or any other WWII vets will be riding with us. If any of you or your members are interested in bringing your motor vehicle, please contact me. The same goes for any WWII vets you might know who would like to attend. They will, obviously, ride in the available space in the vehicles.

Parade's Rules
1.All units must be checked in by 9:45am on the route. The parade starts promptly at 10:00am.
2.We must have an identification banner at all times.
3.Forward motion must be maintained at all times (although there are sometimes unplanned pauses).
4.At no time is anyone allowed to hand out, throw, or propel anything on the parade route or stop to entertain for any reason.
5.No shooting of firearms, no sirens, no vehicle honking, no air horns are permitted.
6.No one under the age of 9 will be permitted to march.

CHG's Rules
1.All attendees must be CHG Members in good standing (current on club dues and not on probation) and it's veteran guests. The most current roster will be brought to the event and a line-up will be held in the staging area for verification. Non-members or those not in good standing will be turned away, no exceptions. If your membership status is delinquent, do not wait until the last moment to send in your dues. We will not take payments on the day of the event.
2.All attendees should be wearing American uniforms of any branch of the military applicable to WWII only. Please refrain from representing other wars and countries.
3.At no time will members point their weapons at anyone, including other members, even in jest. Please maintain weapons safety and muzzle awareness even though weapons will be unloaded and safe. Keep fingers out of the trigger areas.
4.Do not bring any blanks and, especially, live ammunition to the event.
5.Try to not let bystanders cross into the parade route within the group's ranks, especially especially between the vehicles. Sometimes they want to take pictures with you. It's ok to do so, but move to the route's edge as to not obstruct the forward motion of the parade.
6.Please fill your canteens. We will try to have a water source stashed in one of the vehicles. The parade route is mostly unshaded and, on a sunny day, can get hot.
7.Be considerate of your actions and what you say. Acting in character can be fun, but do know that a lot of 1940s ideas and comments are not appropriate in today's world.
8.Smile, wave, and have fun on the parade route!

[charles]

For those of who are going, sound off.

[kanowarrior]

I was just Mapquesting my route in the morning and I believe that shopping center is actually at the corner of Goldenwest and Yorktown, not Goldenwest and Garfield.

[kanowarrior]

Forming up at the staging area

Attachments:

[kanowarrior]

This year we had my jeep and the truck. Unfortunately we didn't have the usual armor.

Attachments:

[barcelonablom]

Bummer...

I think thats one of those "attention getters" for the crowd

[tomd]

You guys sure have some nice equipment!! I have looked at your other parade photos and they are really amazing. I wish you could do some work here on the northeast Florida coast but I guess the gas bill to get here might be a bit too much.