The first-ever parade welcoming home troops who fought in the Iraq War went off without a hitch on Saturday in St. Louis. The parade was a grassroots effort sparked by Craig Schneider, who helped organize and raise money for the parade through Facebook.
CNN reported that thousands of folks attended the welcome home parade. In addition to traditional parade standbys like floats and flag-waving, there were booths that provided job resources for veterans.
There was also a vigil for the fallen held the night before Saturday's parade. Aginette Morgan, the mother of fallen soldier Sgt. Milton Gist Jr., was one of the people who came out for the vigil. Gist was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in January 2007. Morgan told a CNN:
"He had just turned 27. He was home for his birthday and left for his birthday and I got a call on the 30th. The chaplains came to my job. I was at work when it happened, and I was a nervous wreck."
WMFY-TV posted a half-hour's worth of video from the parade. It will give you chills, and could possible choke you up with pride. Take a look:
