COVERING PUGET SOUND NAVAL NEWS FOR BREMERTON | BANGOR | KEYPORT
NAVY NEWS Kitsap
VOLUME 1, NO. 8 | 20 MAY 2011
www.kitsapnavynews.com
Heroes Act looks help tomorrow’s vet By GREG SKINER Kitsap Navy News
With a bevy of support, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veteran’s Affairs Patty Murray last week introduced the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011. Widely touted as a step forward in the federal government’s attempt to address the high unemployment rate of post-9/11 veterans, the act will not effect most veterans currently in Kitsap county – already home to 35,000 veterans. The proposed legislation, seeks to extend and further enhance the widely supported
SEE VET | PAGE 9
A sailor waves to the crowds at the 62nd annual Armed Forces Day Parade in Bremerton last May. This year’s parade, still the largest and longest running in the nation, begins at 10 a.m. on Naval Avenue and ends at Park Avenue.
AFF Parade looking good By ERIN JENNINGS
Kitsap Navy News
Patriotism will be in full force on Saturday at the 63rd annual Armed Forces Day Parade in Bremerton. Veterans and active duty military members from all branches will be represented in the mile-long parade. Marching bands from Washington, Oregon and Idaho will provide the sound track for the day. Flag teams, drill teams and floats will round out the 150 parade entries. Cris Larsen has organized the parade for the past nine years. When he took the reigns, only a handful of marching bands participated. But under his leadership, the number has risen to 19. He believes that parades are all about marching bands and he doesn’t turn any away. “The love you feel in the city as the marching bands walk through is awesome,” Larsen said. The theme for this year’s parade is “Courage Brings Freedom.” The parade not only honors active duty military and veterans, but also the families of service
members. “So many of our men and women stationed out of [Washington] are in the front lines,” Larsen said. “People left at home are scared. We can give them a hug by putting on the most ultimate parade in the world.” Along with the parade, Larsen organizes the Heroes Barbeque for military families. Larsen is a firm believer that if you truly want to thank someone, you do so by breaking bread together. The barbeque gives active and retired military personnel a chance to kick back and relax after the parade. Military attendees and their families are given a meal, free of charge, as a thank you for their service. “I don’t want to have faceless people who show up for the parade and then go home,” Larsen said. Instead, he wants people to feel celebrated. Larsen remembers one year hearing a little boy say to his father, “Daddy, don’t you have to pay for our meal?” Upon learning that the meal was a gift because of his father’s service, the boy beamed
with pride. The recession has made planning for the parade a bit more difficult. Larsen said fund raising used to be easy. But due to the current economy, raising funds has become challenging. Even basic necessities such as PortaPotties add up in cost, he said. “I don’t like walking through the door and hearing people say ‘He’s going to ask for money,” Larsen said. In the habit of working the room, Larsen added with a laugh, “I do beg. And I hope all of your readers send in $8.95 to support a family and send it to the Bremerton Chamber.” Larsen is a funny guy by nature and is a stand-up comic. Later this year, Larsen will take his act to the Middle East and will perform for the stationed troops. And while Larsen hasn’t served in the military, his family has long ties to the service. Bremerton holds the distinction of having the largest and longest running Armed Forces parade in the nation.
THIS EDITION NBK cooks steal the show at AFF Iron Chef comp pg. 2 NBK sailor wins national father of the year....pg. 3 Sarah Smiley returns to the Pacific Northwest ...pg. 4 2011 Warrior Games begin in Colorado Springs . pg. 10