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Paying homage to WWII heroes at Auburn's Veterans Day Parade

Nov- 7-2004 » Filed Under: General Military

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By Tan Vinh

AUBURN — More than half a century has passed since they fought on the Pacific Ocean. Yesterday, many local submarine veterans finally got their parade. They were the lead convoy, waving to a roaring sea of red, white and blue during the city of Auburn's 39th Annual Veterans Day Parade, one of the biggest such parades west of the Mississippi.

At the peak of World War II, the Navy's Submarine Force was called the "Silent Service," sneaking up on and sinking battleships and tankers before descending back into the depths. By the time their missions were declassified, the public was consumed by the Cold War or had lost interest; their conquests are often missing from the early history texts.

"We were the forgotten ones for a while," said Lem Riddell, 81, of Whidbey Island, one of about 40 submarine veterans who participated in yesterday's parade. "I am glad the word is finally getting out."

With the war in Iraq, this year's festivities elicited quite a bit of patriotic fervor. [...]

The submarine vets tipped their hats to Lt. Damon Armeni and Spc. Timothy Hayes, Purple Heart recipients from the Iraq war who followed them along the mile-long stretch through downtown.

Armeni, 26, of Fort Lewis, was injured Aug. 4 when a rocket-propelled grenade tore part of his intestine and colon while he was inside a Stryker vehicle in Mosul.

Hayes, 28, of Fort Lewis, lost hearing in his right ear when an explosive hit his Humvee while he was traveling near Tikrit in early October.

Mostly, though, the spotlight fell on the submarine veterans, whose service during World War II is considered by many military historians to be among the least recognized. [...]


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