(UPDATED SUNDAY MORNING: Float winners added)

(WSB photos by Tracy Record and Patrick Sand)
During the West Seattle Grand Parade, a lot happens behind the scenes. While parade staffers get the entries out of the gate at the north end of the route, pacing them depending on a variety of factors, there’s more going on along the route – volunteer ham-radio operators are communicating what’s going on at various points along the route, and at secret points along the way, judges are reviewing the entries as they pass. That leads to a list of awards we publish post-parade each year – here it is:

2015 West Seattle Grand Parade
Produced by the West Seattle Rotary Foundation

OVERALL PARADE WINNERS

1st Seattle School All-City Marching Band

2nd Luna Park Cafe

3rd WestSide Baby – Stuff the Bus

BANDS

1st Kennedy Catholic High School Marching Band

2nd Pacific Northwest Drumline

CARS & ANTIQUE CARS

1st Friend to Friend America

2nd West Seattle Lions Club

3rd 1942 American LaFrance Fire Engine

COMMERCIAL

1st Hotwire Coffee (both photos above)

2nd Mountain to Sound Outfitters (above)

3rd Spring Free Trampoline (above)

COMMUNITY

1st Our Lady of Guadalupe

2nd Delridge Grocery Co-op

3rd Calvary Chapel

DRILL TEAMS, SENIOR

1st The Lady’s of Elegance Drill Team (see video here)

2nd Electronetts Drill Team & Drum Squad

3rd Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team

DRILL TEAMS, JUNIOR

1st The Princesses of Elegance Drill Team (see video here)
2nd Washington Diamonds Drill Team
3rd Butterfly Electronetts Drill Team

PERFORMING ACTS

1st Joyas Mestizas – Seattle Mexican Folk Dance Youth

2nd Seafair Clowns

3rd Seafair Pirates

(added Sunday) FLOATS

1st Place – WS Rotary Foundation Trophy – Marysville Strawberry Festival

CONVEYED FLOATS

1st Place – Hope Lutheran Church and School

2nd Place – Holy Rosary School and Sun Dancers

Still adding LOTS MORE photos (and some video to come) of the winning entries. And we have other parade stories in the works – the Kiddie Parade too!

10:47 AM: The West Seattle Grand Parade has begun, with the motorcycle drill teams – Seattle Police and Vancouver (B.C.) Police – on their way from California/Lander. At the Junction end of the route, you’ll see the Kiddie Parade first (leaving California/Genesee at 11 am). California between Admiral and Edmunds is closed until the parade’s over in early afternoon. We’ll have lots of video and photos afterward! (Also some along the way on Twitter at @westseattleblog.)

12:29 PM: At the start of the parade route, in The Admiral District, it’s just wrapped up, after an hour and a half. We have a crew at the Junction end of the route too, so we’ll update you when it ends there. Meantime – as paradegoers walk past us, we’re hearing their reviews. Including, “That was a nice little parade.” And: “I wanna be in the parade next year!” Here are a couple clips we uploaded along the route – the Seafair Pirates:

And the first drill team on the route, the Lady’s Of Elegance and Princesses of Elegance:

This year’s Grand Marshal, King County Executive (and lifelong West Seattleite) Dow Constantine, tweeted this photo as he showed daughter Sabrina how to do the “parade wave”:

Now the road’s fully open here on the north end of the route. But be careful till it’s all over. Now on with the rest of a big day – more parade coverage (photos and video) to come later.

1:14 PM: Our crew in The Junction says the parade is now all over.

Just hours until the West Seattle Grand Parade, and that means it’s time for last-minute prep! One of the entries you’ll see features representatives of local community councils – among them, Morgan Community Association, whose leaders have been working on the hats they’ll wear – here’s one modeled by president Deb Barker:

Since the group is MoCA for short, therefore coffee cups – get it? Meantime, local businesses will roll down the parade route too, including Potter Construction (WSB sponsor):

Potter shared the photo of Fran and Karl Coy decorating the truck for tomorrow. (Any other parade-eve photos to share? E-mail us! editor@westseattleblog.com)

In all, more than 90 entries are set to walk, march, roll, and motor on down California. We have late word that kid-entertainment favorite Bubbleman will be among them – along with unicyclists, trampoline jumpers, cannon-firing pirates, marching bands, drill teams, all sorts of fun. New to West Seattle? Don’t miss it! Not new to West Seattle? Don’t miss it! A few reminders from our previous publication of the parade-daybasics:

WHEN: 11 am start from California and Lander, headed to California and Edmunds, about a mile and a half. (Bus reroutes, parking restrictions, and road closures are staggered.)

BUT FIRST: The Seattle Police and Vancouver (BC) Police Motorcycle Drill Teams are first. So if you’re going to watch from the north end of the route, be in place 10:30 or so.

GET OUT ON THE ROUTE, #1: Run the parade route before the parade by participating in the Float Dodger 5K, 9:30 am start from in front of West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), 2743 California SW. If you’re not registered yet, you can sign up before the run.

GET OUT ON THE ROUTE, #2: Be in the Kiddie Parade! It leaves California/Genesee at 11 am, headed down the south end of the parade route.

REMEMBER THE ROUTE CLOSES: As early as 6 am in some spots – take a close look at your nearest NO PARKING sign – parking restrictions kick in on the bus-rerouting streets, as well as the route itself.

WHO’S WHO: Marty Riemer announces the parade in The Junction; County Executive Dow Constantine is Grand Marshal. Former West Seattle Big Band director Donn Weaver is the Orville Rummel Trophy for Outstanding Service to the Community recipient. Judges are in various secret spots along the route, and award winners will be announced afterward. See you there!

(WSB photo: All-City Band in the 2014 West Seattle Grand Parade)

As we reported after the parade lineup meeting earlier this week, looks like 90+ entries will march and roll their way down California SW this Saturday morning in the West Seattle Grand Parade. The basics:

WHEN: 11 am start from California and Lander, headed to California and Edmunds, about a mile and a half.

CAVEAT: The Seattle Police and Vancouver (BC) Police Motorcycle Drill Teams go first. So if you’re going to watch from the north end of the route, don’t be later than 10:30 or so.

GET OUT ON THE ROUTE, #1: Run the parade route before the parade by participating in the Float Dodger 5K, 9:30 am start from in front of West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), 2743 California SW. (Online registration just closed, but you can stop by WS Runner tomorrow 3-7 pm or sign up pre-race on Saturday.)

GET OUT ON THE ROUTE, #2: Be in the Kiddie Parade!

(WSB photo: 2014 Kiddie Parade participant)
It leaves California/Genesee at 11 am, headed down the south end of the parade route.

REMEMBER THE ROUTE CLOSES: As early as 6 am in some spots – take a close look at your nearest NO PARKING sign – parking restrictions kick in on the bus-rerouting streets, as well as the route itself.

WHAT’S NEW: New entries include a trampoline company whose owner plans to jump (dressed as a pirate!) as the trampoline travels down the route; giant “Cakewalk” puppets from Fremont; Pacific Northwest Drumline is back “after a 2-year hiatus”; and more …

WHO’S WHO: Marty Riemer announces the parade from the heart of The Junction; County Executive Dow Constantine is Grand Marshal. Former West Seattle Big Band director Donn Weaver is the Orville Rummel Trophy for Outstanding Service to the Community recipient.

BIZFLOATS: Local businesses are fun to cheer for, and those you’ll see will include our flagship sponsor Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (with four-wheelers, two-wheelers, and, we’re told, bubbles), Luna Park Café, Spud, Little Gym, PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor), West Coast Entertainment (on Segways) …

Also …
*Community groups
*Nonprofits
*Visiting royalty
*Drill teams (including the famous Chinese Community Girls’ Drill Team)
*Marching Bands
*Churches
*Schools
*Visiting royalty
*Candidates
*Even a Metro bus

Pick your spot anywhere along the route (but remember there’s a lot of construction on California south of Admiral, so some traditional spots are construction zones now, especially on both sides of the 3800 block). If you are a fan of peeking behind-the-scenes on big events, be at the start of the parade and watch organizers coordinate getting everybody out onto the route; if you come down early enough, you can watch the arrivals, see visiting floats and performers get themselves organized. Whatever you choose to do, be part of a long-running tradition (and bring water – forecast calls for the return of warm weather).

West Seattle Grand Parade co-coordinator Dave Vague joked that it must be like watching sausage being made, or paint drying, to sit in on the annual lineup meeting at which parade entry forms go from paper to pixels to a plan. Nonetheless, they let us sit in on it anyway (best place to get parade-preview info) – and tonight at Pershing Hall in The Triangle, (from left in the photo above) he, Doreen Vague, Michelle Edwards, and Jim Edwards crafted the tentative running order for this Saturday’s parade.

More than 90 entries right now, including ones in which you’ll see people, as they roll down the route:

*Trampolining
*Unicycling
*Bicycling
*Rollerskating
*Kayaking
*Drumming

…and of course dancing, marching, riding on floats, etc. Did we mention cannon-blasting, too? Yes, classic parade stars including the Seafair Pirates are back – along with other Seafair faves (Clowns, Commodores, Scholarship Program candidates including last year’s West Seattle Hi-Yu Queen Lorelei McFadden). And this year’s Hi-Yu royalty will be on their “Around the Sound” float.

The parade, presented by the West Seattle Rotary Service Foundation, starts at 11 am Saturday at California/Lander and continues to California/Edmunds in The Junction. But don’t just show up at the last minute – for one, the Vancouver (BC) and Seattle Police motorcycle units tend to start sooner; for two, before all that, you can cheer on the Float Dodger 5K runners (or even better, be one of them – then take your place to parade-watch – you can register here), who leave California/Charlestown at 9:30 am. More parade-day info as the week rolls on toward Saturday, and our morning traffic reports will include reminders about street/parking/bus changes too.

We’re counting down all week to this year’s West Seattle Grand Parade – 11 am Saturday (July 18th), rolling southbound on California SW from SW Lander to SW Edmunds – and this afternoon, parade organizers have just announced this year’s Grand Marshal: West Seattle born-and-raised King County Executive Dow Constantine.

(Constantine in another parade of sorts – with Schmitz Park students headed to Log House Museum totem-pole dedication June 2014)
He’s a graduate of West Seattle High School – the campus is steps from where he’ll ride onto the parade route Saturday as Grand Marshal – and is midway through his second term as King County Executive, which was preceded by service on the King County Council and in the State Senate and House, to which he was first elected in 1996. He and wife Shirley Carlson are raising their 1-year-old daughter Sabrina in the same neighborhood where he grew up. (added) His reaction to the Grand Parade Grand Marshal news: “The West Seattle Parade has been a highlight of our family’s summers my whole life. I’ve walked the parade as a Scout, marched in the school band, and appeared as both a candidate and as an elected official. This is the community that raised me, so being asked to serve as Grand Marshal of the parade means a lot to me personally.”

As for the parade itself, a little more background from the just-in announcement:

At this time the parade is scheduled to have more than 80 entries, including parade floats, marching bands, and the only appearance of the Vancouver Police Motorcycle Drill Team, as well as the Seattle Police Motorcycle Drill Team.

The West Seattle Parade Committee is a community service committee of the West Seattle Rotary Club Service Foundation.

We’ll be counting down to the parade all week with more information – and remember that it’s preceded by the 11 am Kiddie Parade – just be at California/Genesee and ready to roll southbound! In addition to Grand Marshal Constantine, another parade VIP has been selected, as previously mentioned here – longtime West Seattle Big Band leader and former WSHS music teacher Donn Weaver, who’ll receive the Orville Rummel Trophy for Outstanding Community Service at tomorrow night’s 7 pm Concert in the Park with the WSBB on the east lawn at Hiawatha. More pre-parade info to come!

(SPD motorcycles in The Junction)
Before this very busy weekend concludes, one last round of photos from the 2014 West Seattle Grand Parade – hundreds of community members, on foot and on wheels …

**CLICK AHEAD FOR 22 MORE PHOTOS**
Read More

Shortly after today’s West Seattle Grand Parade concluded, the award winners were announced, and our video above shows parade-presenting Rotary Club of West Seattle president Shane Carew making the announcements. Here’s the list, followed by information on how trophies can be claimed if your organization/group/etc. won but wasn’t there to accept the award:

OVERALL GRAND PRIZE WINNERS

1st Place – Seattle Schools All-City Marching Band (above)

2nd Place – Sumner High School Marching Band (above)
3rd Place – The Dolls & Gents Drill Team & Drumline

BANDS
1st Place – Kennedy Catholic High School Marching Band

CLOWNS

1st Place – Seattle Seafair Clowns (above)
2nd Place – Lake City Vigilantes
3rd Place – Keystone Kops

PERFORMING ACTS

1st Place – Pathfinder K-8 School Unicycle Team

2nd Place – Joyas Mestizas – Seattle Mexican Folk Dance Youth (photo above)

3rd Place – Seafair Pirates (photo above)

COMMERCIAL

1st Place – Luna Park Cafe (above)

2nd Place – The Little Gym of West Seattle (above)
3rd Place – Ronald McDonald

CARS & ANTIQUE CARS

1st Place – King County Metro Transit (above)

2nd Place – 1942 American LaFrance Fire Truck (above)

3rd Place – Hope Lutheran School (above)

DRILL TEAMS, JUNIOR

1st Place – The Princesses of Elegance Drill Team (video above)

2nd Place – Washington Diamonds Drill Team (photo above)
3rd Place – Anointed to Praise Drill Team

DRILL TEAMS, SENIOR
1st Place – The Ladies of Elegance Drill Team

2nd Place – Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team

3rd Place – Diva Upgrades Drill Team

COMMUNITY

1st Place – Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish & School

2nd Place – Seattle Lutheran High School Robotics

3rd Place – Southside Revolution – Jr. Roller Derby

FLOATS

1st – WS Rotary Foundation Trophy: Marysville Strawberry Festival Float

We have at least one more parade report to come – but in the meantime, a message for the winners from parade co-coordinator Dave Vague: “The trophies are set out at the Legion Hall, which will be open 9 – 4 Monday through Friday next week, and the phone number is 932-9696.”

(MORE PARADE COVERAGE: Scroll through this archive)

(Photo by Steve Fuller; others by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
If you watch the West Seattle Grand Parade from somewhere along the final three blocks, between Genesee and Edmunds, you get to see the Kiddie Parade, which the Rotary Club of West Seattle presented for years before taking over production of the Grand Parade itself starting this year. It’s open to all kids (and their chaperones). Here are some of the participants – starting with one young lady who brought a float!

She was one of more than a few in costume:

Pre-parade, here’s the Junior All-City Band getting ready – coached by All-City Band members:

For more of our 2014 parade-day coverage, scroll through our coverage archive here.

This year’s West Seattle Grand Parade is over in The Admiral District as of about 10 minutes ago. Our first report features some quick clips, mostly via Instagram (which has a :15 maximum). Top – the WestSide Baby Daddy Drill Team – as always, WS Baby is looking ahead to the day-after-parade Stuff the Bus Diaper Drive, tomorrow 10 am-2 pm outside HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) at 41st/Alaska (with other dropoff locations). Next – the new Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby Team:

Toward the start of the parade, the Vancouver (BC) Motorcycle Drill Team, which doesn’t perform in any other Seattle-area parades.

A parade surprise from the Seafair Pirates – they had a cannon, but no warning siren because no Moby Duck.

Someone hollered, “Where’s the boat?” One pirate replied, “In drydock – as of about 10 o’clock last night.” More parade stories to come with lots of photos and video … congratulations to organizers and participants for another great time..

On the eve of the West Seattle Grand Parade (Saturday morning from California/Lander south to California/Edmunds, 10:30 am motorcycle drill teams’ start, 11 am full parade, preceded by the Float Dodger 5K at 9:30):

A NIGHT FOR PARADE PREPS: Potter Construction (WSB sponsor) shared the photo above as they worked on their entry in tomorrow’s parade. Potter is a parade sponsor, as are we (though we’ll be on the sidelines covering it).

ORVILLE RUMMEL WINNER FILL-IN: The parade-presenting Rotary Club of West Seattle says that Orville Rummel Trophy for Outstanding Community Service winner Earl Cruzen is too sick to ride in the parade, so his wife Adah Cruzen will be filling in, riding in a 1957 Cadillac convertible that’ll be the second car in the parade. Earl will be honored one more way – a proclamation from King County Executive Dow Constantine that Saturday will be Earl Cruzen Day in the county (click image to see full-size PDF):

As the proclamation notes, Earl Cruzen received a similar city honor in 2008.

TRAFFIC NOTES: We are asked every year, how early will the Float Dodger 5K/Parade route be closed on California? The true answer is, it varies, but don’t push it. Parade co-coordinator Jim Edwards says the Admiral to Hanford section of California closes when the first float shows up – could be as early as 7:30. From Hanford south to Edmunds, that closes when SPD enforcement assistance shows up, likely around 9 am. Side-street parking on 42nd, 44th, and 45th will have restrictions starting early in the morning. And as Jim warns, “Stay away from Walnut and Lander” because not only is it close to the parade staging zone, that side of Hiawatha Community Center will have loading under way for the Mediterranean Fantasy Festival.

PARADE OVERVIEW: More than 75 entries, with hundreds of people when you count the drill teams, community/school/church groups, etc. They include Seattle summertime-parade season’s most popular and award-winning entries such as the Chinese Community Girls’ Drill Team, All-City Band, and Seafair Pirates, as well as floats including West Seattle Hi-Yu and Marysville Strawberry Festival. New entries we haven’t mentioned yet include the Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby, which is still recruiting for its debut season.

(2013 WSB photo)
And late additions include Tracy Dart and her cancer-fighting Team Tracy (above), sponsored by Alki Party Treasures (WSB sponsor).

Go stake out a spot and have fun – and remember, the Kiddie Parade welcomes all kids, gathering at California/Genesee around 10:30 and heading south from there at 11, ahead of the rest of the parade. We’ll have traffic/bus-reroute reminders in our first morning preview, and parade coverage as it happens.

Saturday’s getting closer! The West Seattle Grand Parade runs from California/Lander southbound to California/Edmunds starting ~10:30 am Saturday (motorcycle drill teams, then the official parade start is at 11 am). We’re continuing the countdown with more parade-preview tidbits:

(Pathfinder K-8 Unicycle Team in 2012 West Seattle Grand Parade)
SCHOOLS YOU’LL SEE: This year they include Pathfinder K-8 (represented by the Unicycle Team), Seattle Lutheran High School (represented by the Robotics Team), Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor). Two more schools are in the next preview category:

MARCHING BANDS: You’ll see three in Saturday’s parade – All-City Band (directed by West Seattle’s own Marcus Pimpleton, Sealth/Denny music director), Kennedy Catholic High School, and, from Pierce County, Sumner High School.

MARCH WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS: Last night, we mentioned the West Seattle Neighborhood Councils group that will be walking in the parade for the first time; Cindi Barker from Morgan Community Association offered in this comment to connect you with your nearest community group if you’d like to be part of it. (We can attest to how much fun it is to walk the parade route – even if you just try it once and then go back to being a spectator.)

CHEER FOR THE HAMS: The West Seattle Amateur Radio Club – recently featured here on Field Day – will be in the parade; you might not be aware that ham-radio operators assist with logistics and communication along the parade route. So cheer them when you see them!

NEW PLACE TO WATCH: Even if you always watch from the same spot – take note, every year there’s something new happening along the route. At today’s West Seattle Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting, Laura Schneider of Meeples Games – which just opened this spring at California/Charlestown – reminded those in attendance that her second-floor business has a deck, and sells food and drink, so it just might be a fun place to watch – or, if you’re in that area, at least to get refreshments.

SPEAKING OF CALIFORNIA/CHARLESTOWN: The northwest corner also is home to West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), presenter of the Float Dodger 5K pre-parade run, which will start from that intersection just after 9:30 am. If you’re not signed up yet, online registration is closed but last-minute signups start Saturday morning at 8.

MORE PARADE PREVIEWS TOMORROW … including full details on road-closure times, etc. – so if there’s anything you want to let people know in advance about YOUR parade entry/business along the route/etc., please send us a note ASAP … editor@westseattleblog.com. Thanks!

(WSB file photo: West Seattle Grand Parade spectators)
Continuing our countdown to Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade, presented by the Rotary Club of West Seattle – a few more notes:

NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE MARCH: For the first time we can remember, an organized group of reps from community councils will be marching in the parade. At tonight’s Morgan Community Association meeting, MoCA’s Cindi Barker showed off the bright safety-yellow/green T-shirts at least some of them will be wearing, so you can’t miss them.

(WSB file photo: VPD motorcycle drill team)
REMEMBER, THE MOTORCYCLES START EARLY: While the official parade start time is 11 am at California/Lander, the motorcycle drill teams – Seattle Police and then Vancouver (BC) Police – launch up to half an hour earlier, so stake out your parade-route spot in plenty of time.

NEW THIS YEAR: ‘VEGAS’ MOST WANTED’ DRILL TEAM: Among the parade entries making their debut, a drill team/drum squad called Vegas’ Most Wanted. (As far as we can tell, they really are from Las Vegas!)

MAYOR JOINING THE PARADE: Last year, he walked with the 34th District Democrats as a candidate; this year, former West Seattleite Ed Murray will be in the Grand Parade as mayor.

If you missed our previous reports – retired Col. Bruce Crandall, Medal of Honor recipient, is this year’s Grand Marshal; Earl Cruzen, longtime community advocate/volunteer, is the Orville Rummel Trophy recipient; and West Seattle-residing personality Marty Riemer will emcee the parade for the first time – to hear him, stake out a spot near California/Alaska.

That’s also a good place to watch the Kiddie Parade, which starts from California/Genesee at 11 am while the southern part of the parade zone is awaiting everything else. And the Float Dodger 5K run kicks off the entire morning, leaving California/Charlestown at about 9:30. The countdown continues tomorrow …

(WSB photo from staging zone of 2010 Grand Parade)
We’re continuing to count down to the West Seattle Grand Parade this Saturday, 11 am, California/Lander southward to California/Edmunds. This morning – a request for convertibles! Keith Hughes, parade chair for the Rotary Club of West Seattle, says three convertibles/open vehicles are needed – for Grand Marshal Col. Bruce Crandall, for Orville Rummel Trophy winner Earl Cruzen, and for the Rotary’s new District Governor, West Seattleite John Enger. Classic convertibles would be awesome, but any would be welcome. If you can help, please contact Keith ASAP – keith@westseattlenaturalenergy.com or 206-941-6654.

The West Seattle Grand Parade is just five days away – this Saturday, from California/Lander in The Admiral District to California/Edmunds in The Junction. 11 am is the official starting time, but the motorcycle drill teams – Seattle Police and Vancouver (BC) Police will both be back – start a bit earlier, so make sure you’ve staked out your spot by 10:30 am. And at California/Genesee, the Kiddie Parade starts at 10 am – all kids welcome to join.

For years, the Kiddie Parade has been presented by the Rotary Club of West Seattle, and starting this year, the Rotary is presenting the entire Grand Parade, taking over from longtime parade presenter American Legion Post 160. But Post 160 headquarters – now home to Pershing Hall and the West Seattle Veterans’ Center – is still where parade-coordination-team members Jim Edwards, Dave Vague, Doreen Vague, and Michelle Edwards met tonight to draft the parade running order. Two bits of news we wanted to share:

(2009 WSB photo)
*Earl Cruzen, whose decades of community service include shepherding the Murals of West Seattle and Walking on Logs into existence, will be honored with the Orville Rummel Trophy for Outstanding Service to the Community, named after the man who was Post 160 Commander when the parade began. We’ll take a closer look at his community service in a separate story later this week.

*Marty Riemer, one of West Seattle’s most famous voices, will be heard at California/Alaska, announcing the parade entries. Marty’s current endeavors include a weekly podcast/webcast and the Tech Timeout Academic Challenge.

Stay tuned for more parade news as we count down all week – and then be there to stake out your spot somewhere along the route Saturday morning; the parade will be preceded by the third annual Float Dodger 5K (still time to sign up if you want to be part of that, pre-parade).

The Rotary Club of West Seattle, which this year for the first time is presenting the West Seattle Grand Parade, has announced this year’s Grand Marshal:

Medal of Honor recipient Col. Bruce Crandall (retired) will be the Grand Marshal of the 82nd annual West Seattle Grand Parade on July 19, 2014. Crandall was born in Olympia and resides in Kitsap County; his son, Steve, lives in West Seattle.

Crandall is a Master Army Aviator, qualified in both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, and a veteran of 900 combat missions in Vietnam. In addition to the Medal of Honor, he is also the recipient of the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster and many other awards. In 2004 he was inducted into the Army Aviation Hall of Fame.

In a battle in November, 1965, Crandall, flying a series of three unarmed helicopters through the day and into the night, supplied a surrounded force of 450 US soldiers and evacuated 70 wounded. The battle is depicted in the Mel Gibson film “We Were Soldiers,” where Crandall is portrayed by actor Greg Kinnear.

In January, 1966, in the dark and under intense enemy fire, Crandall twice dropped his helicopter through dense jungle canopy to evacuate 12 wounded solders.

In January, 1968, his helicopter was shot down during another rescue attempt, and Crandall was hospitalized for five months with serious injuries.

Crandall is active in the Medal of Honor Character Development Program, a middle school and high school curriculum designed to build character and promote responsible citizenship.

He travels the country addressing school assemblies about developing a moral compass and having the courage to do the right thing even when it is not popular.

The West Seattle Grand Parade is sponsored by the Rotary Club of West Seattle.

The medal was presented to Col. Crandall by President Bush in 2007; he retired from the Army with the rank of Lt. Col. but was promoted to Colonel (retired) in 2010.

The parade on Saturday, July 19th, will travel down California SW from The Admiral District to The Junction, usually starting around 11 am. More details as we count down to this year’s parade in the almost-three-weeks ahead!

Yet more highlights from today’s West Seattle Grand Parade. Big cheers for the first-time appearance by a group for whom the parade route was like a walk in the park – Team Tracy, the breast-cancer-fighting 3-Day Walk team led by survivor and superstar fundraiser Tracy Dart. Some walkers sported bras they had decorated at a parade-prep party earlier in the week; the group was accompanied by a motorcycle:

Elsewhere on 2 wheels, Sustainable West Seattle and West Seattle Bike Connections were among the sustainable-transportation advocates who rallied young bicyclists for the first “Kidical Mass” parade ride:

1-wheelers represented, too- the Pathfinder K-8 unicyclists:

Back on 4 wheels, the West Seattle Lions Club had a multiple-vehicle presence, with the lead vehicle, if you look closely, sporting a sign noting that parade day was recently retired service-station proprietor Dick Barnecut‘s birthday (87!):

Some of the most-memorable people were cheering on the sidelines:

At California/Alaska, current West Seattle Hi-Yu royalty cheered past royalty who are competing in the Miss Seafair program this year – Kayli Schulz, representing Hi-Yu, and Victoria Ferrulli, representing the Admiral Neighborhood Association:

Speaking of competing – there were of course politicians – in alphabetical order, we start with King County Executive Dow Constantine, running for re-election but with no opponent actually campaigning:

Running for Seattle mayor, four candidates were in or at the parade – here’s City Councilmember Bruce Harrell:

Incumbent Mayor Mike McGinn wasn’t “in” the parade but was sighted on the sidelines – we didn’t see him but his Twitter account included photos:

State Senator Ed Murray started out marching with the 34th District Democrats and had broken out by the parade’s final section:

And former City Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck campaigned his way down California (we heard him asking spectators “Are you undecided?”):

We should also note that current Councilmembers Richard Conlin and Sally Bagshaw, running for re-election, were here too, as were local legislators accompanying with the 34th.

Our other Grand Parade coverage for this year, and past years, is archived here.

(WSB photos by Katie Meyer)
Every year before the West Seattle Grand Parade, kids get a parade of their own courtesy of the Rotary Club of West Seattle, the Rotary Kiddie Parade. Above, the Junior All-City Band (which trailed the rest of the paraders by a bit today); below, Charlotte led the main group:

Some paraded in costume:

Some in mini-vehicles, too:

Rotarians provided balloons for kids who signed up:

And the Kiddie Parade even drew “royalty”:

This parade travels a shorter route than the Grand Parade – down California from the north end of The Junction (SW Genesee) to the south end (SW Edmunds).