While there are plenty of reminders in San Francisco of the Bay Area's long history with military service, there is one day when everyone gets a chance to commemorate veterans directly: Veterans Day. While the directions and times are easy to find online, what is exciting about the San Francisco Veterans Day Parade are the efforts veterans are making before and after this day. Throughout Facebook and Twitter, hundreds of military personnel of the past and present are voicing their hopes, plans, expectations, condolences, and outrage. For this reason, you can expect many memorable marchers at this year's event.
SF Veterans Day Parade essentials
This year on Friday, November 11, locals will gather for the San Francisco Veterans Day Parade at 9:30 a.m. This could be confusing for some veterans who are accustomed to the parade being held on Sunday. The parade will begin at Montgomery and Market streets at 11 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m. As the parade moves through the city down Market, it will travel south toward Civic Center and end at the north side of City Hall near a reviewing stand. All members of the armed forces are encouraged to join in.
Solidarity for Scott Olsen
Although it did not occur in San Francisco, one of the main focuses of the SF Veterans for Peace Facebook page is Daly City's Scott Olsen. This former two-tour Marine from the 3rd Battalion recently returned from Iraq and joined the Occupy Oakland movement. Videos show this veteran being critically injured amid clashes between police and protesters. As part of the focus of this Veterans Day Parade, you can expect appearances by those who support Olsen.
According to a Facebook page dedicated to Olsen, members of the military community are taking care of their own and asking the public to do the same. Likely to be a presence at the parade in San Francisco, they are also one of the many groups of veterans around the country accepting donations for Olsen. On November 4, an update to the Scott Olsen Benefit Foundation stated, "Scott's getting better! He tells me he will be in the hospital for another week or two and is working on speech therapy. We got our fingers crossed for you, Scott!"
Veterans Day service projects
Although Goldman Sachs is at the center of the Occupy Wall Street outcry, they are taking a moment to give back to veterans in San Francisco. As part of the service projects available for locals to participate in, Goldman Sachs Gives and The Mission Continues are teaming up with former and present armed forces personnel throughout the Bay Area. Their two projects begin before the SF Veterans Day Parade and directly after.
The first project begins at 8 a.m. at the Salvation Army Harbor Lights Center at 445 Ninth St . There, volunteers will make sandwiches and hygiene kits and prepare for a Thanksgiving meal delivery. Following the parade, the second event will occur two blocks north of the parade finish line at the Salvation Army Family Services Center at 519 Stevenson St. While they need volunteers, according to the registration page on their website, they are "only accepting veteran, active duty, spouse, and dependent volunteers."
'When Jane and Johnny Come Marching Homeless'
This year, the Veterans Day buzz in San Francisco has included the Heinz Ketchup "Our Turn to Serve" campaign that encourages citizens to give to the Wounded Warrior Project and volunteer with veterans . Besides this, there is also a great deal of stir concerning a documentary that is being made called "When Jane and Johnny Come Marching Homeless."
Producer and director Nina Gilberti describes the film saying, "It's about the emotional and psychological homelessness that many feel upon returning home from war and not just about those who are living on the streets, in cars, and couch surfing." To share your story during the upcoming December to February filming, contact Gilberti on the film's Facebook page.
SF veterans mural project
For many veterans, coming home from the war means finding ways to heal. However, like Gilberti states about her documentary project, many of these wounds are not physical. With this in mind, Tenderloin local Amos Gregory formed the SF Vets Mural Project earlier this year. Currently referred to as "Veterans Alley," the murals are being placed at Shannon Alley at 555 Geary St. Recently, this project was the focus of a televised special titled "Veterans Healing Through Art." In addition, this Facebook group is a profound documentation of the true stories behind the lives of modern veterans of all wars in the Bay Area.
For example, one post at the SF Vets Mural Project Facebook group quotes, "Please welcome Mr. Bani Shed, Vietnam Veteran who was deported to El Salvador after serving this country." Other posts exemplify the reason healing is needed through projects like this by stating, "Community, we have placed Reuben Chip Santos' story upon the wall of Veterans Alley in San Francisco. He survived the war in Iraqi but lost his battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Please spread this message of healing, and awareness."
To volunteer, paint, donate, or give your thanks, visit the SF Vets Mural Project on Facebook. You can also look for Gregory's banner for the project at the Veterans Day Parade.
Maryam Louise spent 14 years of her childhood living next to Fort Cambell, Kentucky. Although her family was not enlisted, she has many lifelong friendships with inter-generational military families.
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