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thedrifter
09-09-06, 09:05 AM
Veterans fight to save Mesa parade
Jim Walsh
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 9, 2006 12:00 AM

Jerry Walker and Brent Phillips, veterans of conflicts from Vietnam to Iraq, are fighting another battle here at home.

Pride and duty to honor the contributions of fallen warriors are at stake in their fight to save Mesa's Veterans Day Parade, jeopardized by city budget cuts.

"To not have a Veterans Day Parade when we're at war is a slap in the face to everyone over there right now," Walker said, referring to Iraq and Afghanistan.

He is a member of the Marine Corps League and a former Navy hospital corpsman.

Walker, 60, of Mesa, who was assigned to the Marines in Vietnam, said he has raised more than $3,500, but $10,000 is needed for police overtime and barricade rentals. Time is short. The holiday is Nov. 11.

He says Mesa veterans were surprised by the budget cuts.

Options include joining the Apache Junction parade or holding a smaller parade and ceremony at Mesa Community College's veterans garden.

"I don't even know if there's time for us to have a Veterans Day Parade this year," he said.

The veterans aren't the only ones left scrambling by the City Council's decision to eliminate funding for special events for a savings of $270,000 after voters rejected Mesa's first property tax since World War II.

Last year, the city paid $9,000 for the veterans' parade cost.

John Goode, a city park ranger, also is trying to save the Martin Luther King Day Unity Parade. "We've come so far. For us not to go on, it would have a negative impact on the spirit of unity," Goode said.

Walker and Phillips blame the city, saying it is unfair to hold the veterans parade hostage to the failed tax election. Voters approved a sales tax increase on the same ballot.

Phillips said he is fighting for the Mesa parade as a matter of principle, given that he has committed to serving as a grand marshal in the Phoenix Veterans Parade.

Ellie