For many communities in North Texas, Veterans Day parades are an annual tradition -- and a way for each of them to say thank you to the men and women who have served our country.
While Arlington hosts several events honoring veterans each year, a parade has never been one of them.
Former Marine Chris Pettitt felt his hometown ought to have one.
"It's really nice to be able to give recognition back to those who have served," said Pettitt. "Some of the surrounding cities have parades and I just thought it would be a nice thing to have in Arlington."
Coming up with an idea was the easy part. Executing was going to take some work.
Pettitt had never been helped organize a large parade -- but fortunately, he knew some people who had.
He reached out to the organizers of Arlington's annual Holiday Lights parade for some pointers. They fell in love with the idea of Veterans Day parade and told him they'd help him make it happen.
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"The one thing they kept saying was 'don't we have one already?' -- they were surprised we didn't," said Pettitt. "But that tells me how much they appreciate the veterans and the first responders in our city."
Together, they created the Arlington Heroes Parade, which not only will honor the men and women who served in our armed forces, but first responders as well.
For the inaugural parade, they've lined up more than 40 floats and large vehicles. Taya Kyle will serve as the parade's grand marshal.
"It's been a fun endeavor," siad Pettitt. "And it's been very enlightening to see how many people are involved with this event."
The parade will kick off at 1:00pm Saturday along Abram Street in Downtown Arlington. Click on the link to view the full parade route.
