Does the City of Detroit Hate Veterans?

[Bill Mattocks]

Sorry, I just have to get this out of my system...

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&note_id=272516126095913

I have been going to the Veteran's Day Parade in downtown Detroit since 2008 to take photos of the veterans, and I have watched the parade grow year by year, while attendance remained pitiful; the marchers almost always outnumbered the parade-watchers, and most of those were friends and family of those who marched in the parade. One of the ongoing complaints made has been that the media in Detroit has ignored this parade over and over again. Despite pleas for attention by the major media outlets, no one sends a TV or radio or newspaper crew down to cover the event, no one talks it up or encourages people to attend. Tens of thousands attend the Thanksgiving Day parade down the same streets, but only a few hundred show up to support our veterans. And they claim to 'support the troops'!

I am on the mailing list for the Metropolitan Detroit Veterans Coalition, and I got this email today. It's disgusting; it appears that the City of Detroit is trying to run the Veteran's Day Parade out of the city! Do they hate veterans? What's the deal?

Please help the veterans! If you read this note and you care about the Detroit Veteran's Day Parade, forward this message, copy and paste wherever, email it to the news organizations, send it to the Detroit City Hall. This can't stand!

Semper Fidelis,

Bill Mattocks
USMC
1979-1985

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From: John Williams, Trustee, Metropolitan Detroit Veterans Coalition

Subject: 6h annual Metropolitan Detroit Veterans Day parade - WE MAY BE MOVING !!!!!

FYI - long and short story......

This parade began in 2006 - few days notice after an afternoon TV show appearance - 100 participants; no major media coverage, no bands, few spectators - from Grand Circus Park to Campus Martius, 1/2 mile.....

2007 - 200 participants; no major media coverage, no bands, few spectators - same route....1/2 mile......

2008 - 500 participants - no major media, few spectators, no bands -same route...1/2 mile.........

2009 - 1500 participants - no major media, few spectators, four (4) bands - we started from the VVA Chapter on Woodward, at Temple, to Campus Martius, 1.1 miles........This was a breakout year...........

2010 - 3000 + participants - no major media, few spectators - six (6) bands from VVA CH 9 to Hart Plaza, 1.5 miles...........

We've grown in five (5) years - 30 fold, and have placed over 3,000 people in downtown Detroit on a Saturday afternoon in November, when the USS Missouri could fire a 16" broadside salvo down Woodward Avenue and not hurt anyone. If I were to write a story about the parade, it would begin - "Hundreds of spectators lined a 1.5 mile route on Woodward Avenue as 3,000 veterans celebrated Veterans Day with a parade". What a sorry headline. Compare that to the Thanksgiving Day parade, or one where Detroit athletes have won a sports championship.

A Mayor of the City of Detroit has never attended the parade.

The City of Detroit wants us to -

1. Change the time, so as not to be in the Foxtown area in the afternoon.

2. Send a letter to every business/residence on the parade route to notify them of the parade.

3. Contact the Ilitches to ensure we are not interfering with any of their events (I have personally invited Mike Ilitch, USMC veteran, to be our Grand Marshal twice - politely declined once, no response to the second request, to date.

4. Begin again at Grand Circus Park.

5. The City will not support the 3K "Troop Trot' run, which will add an additional number of participants.

6. Move the parade to Belle Isle.

6. Charge the MDVC $17,000 if we will not change the time/route. We are a non-profit, 501C3 group. We have no corporate sponsor, or "sugar daddy" to help us. We are not fund raisers - we have $2,000.00 in our checking account. We don't have an Art Van behind us.

It's become evident that the City of Detroit is not veteran friendly and does not really want us there. We are at this time making a proposal to another venue; one that will welcome us, and be proud to host the veterans of this area that have fought for, defended, and protected this country.

I will keep you updated...........

John Williams, Trustee
Metropolitan Detroit Veterans Coalition

P.S. - this will give the opportunity for all those who "Will not go to Detroit for anything" to participate in this parade.

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THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WE ARE LETTING DOWN - THE ONES WHO SERVED OUR NATION WITH HONOR:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wigwam/sets/72157625217338015/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wigwam/sets/72157622631607715/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wigwam/sets/72157608771992043/

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Bill, to be blunt, that just sucks. The vets deserve better. Much better.

 

[granfire]

crying shame

 

[elder999]

Pretty sure they don't "hate veterans." Pretty sure they love money more than veterans, and want some......shameful, really-hopefully, they'll figure that out...