Dad was barely 20 when he went off to fight in World War II.  Later he was captured and held as a POW inside of Germany.   After the war, not a Veterans Day passed without my father being part of the parade in our hometown of Yakima, WA.  He marched with his fellow veterans and proudly carried the United States flag.  These days only a few towns hold parades.  Still, I can vividly remember my father walking down Yakima Avenue with his friends, honored to have served his country.