thousands of people in downtown melbourne, florida, for the welcome home veterans parade. the parade itself included over 650 veterans. melbourne is an hour from orlando and every veteran in the parade was given tickets to theme parks like walt disney world and sea world. next up on the iraq war veterans parade docket will be a parade in media, pennsylvania, set for april 28th, a week from tomorrow. (! des moines, iowa, will be hosting one in june. and then in new york city, apparently never, because even though new york city is where we civilians traditionally have welcomed home the troops at the end of american wars, the pentagon says they do not want that for iraq veterans in new york. everywhere else is in town country they think it is fine, but not new york city for some reason. so new york wet vans of the iraq war do not get a public welcome home and the country doesn t get the collapse to say welcome home and thank you and we are glad the war is over in the traditional new york