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The wind was whipping through downtown Fort Worth this Veterans Day, rattling hats and flags alike, but the sentiment behind the Tarrant County parade was unwavering — today was about honoring those who have served and continue to serve. This year’s theme, “Saluting Vietnam Veterans,” marked 50 years since that conflict officially ended. And leading the charge was Grand Marshal Army CW4 (Ret.) Doug Petersen, a decorated Vietnam veteran whose courage earned him the Congressional Gold Medal last year, among a long list of military honors including 21 Air Medals and the Meritorious Service Medal.
I arrived just as the Arlington Heights High School Marching Band struck up the “Star Spangled Banner,” and it hit me — Fort Worth takes this day seriously. The city has been recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Day National Committee as a VA-recognized regional site, a designation that makes this parade not just a local tradition but part of a national celebration of service.
Mayor Mattie Parker stepped to the podium, her voice steady despite the gusts. “It’s an honor to join Fort Worth today for the annual Veterans Day parade. A tradition in our city started more than a century ago,” she said. “Our first gathering was in 1919 to honor those who fought in World War I. Each year since, we carry that gratitude forward. To remember, celebrate, and honor the men and women who have served our nation in uniform.”
After reading a proclamation honoring the veterans of Cowtown, Parker then introduced Petersen, highlighting his remarkable record before he said a few words.
“I want to thank the city of Fort Worth and the Tarrant County Veterans Council for this great honor,” Petersen said. “To represent all of the Vietnam Veterans who are here today, I wanna say two things, welcome home brother, and welcome home sister. It is truly a great honor to be up here today. It was quite the surprise, actually, to represent each and every one of you, and I will do it to the best of my ability.”
And with that, a 21-gun salute marked the beginning of the parade.
Robert Montoya
My Dad, Robert Octoviano Montoya, at a hooch in Nhatrang, Vietnam.
I stood there, watching the procession unfold, thinking about my own connection to this day. I’m not a veteran, but my father is. He served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1969 — the years that encompassed the Tet Offensive, a turning point that saw nearly 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed in the main attacks and countless more affected in the chaos that followed. The offensive shocked the American public, undermined support for the war, and shifted the course of history — yet for my dad, it was about survival, duty, and looking out for the men beside him.
I remember him telling stories about being drafted, about the helicopter ride (a "hop") he took that changed his orders from a Huey gunner — a role with a near 50/50 chance of survival — to the 297th Transportation Company, where he drove officers around and managed the mailroom for the troops. It was during one of these early flights that he met another Northern New Mexican named John CdeBaca. “Us Northern New Mexico boys have to stay together and look out for one another,” he recalled CdeBaca saying. Those words, delivered in a foreign land under impossible circumstances, brought tears to my father’s eyes every time he recounted them.
The parade passed with its usual spectacle — marching bands, veterans in crisp uniforms, flags snapping in the wind — but my mind kept returning to that sense of personal history. Watching the city honor Doug Petersen and all the Vietnam vets, I tried to understand the weight of service, the bravery in the face of danger, and the quiet sacrifices made by so many.
Coming home from Vietnam, my father faced his own battles — reintegration, finding his footing, and carrying forward lessons learned in a war that left indelible marks on his generation. He remains my hero, not just for what he endured, but for the example he set. Standing on the parade route in Fort Worth, I found myself offering a quiet, grateful nod to him — and to all the men and women who fight for our freedom daily.
