Members of the three veterans groups who were told they couldn’t march in last year’s 11th Annual Long Beach Veterans Day Parade because they didn’t “fit the spirit of the parade”–Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out and Veterans For Peace–now … fit the spirit of the parade.

Weird, huh? Actually, it’s pretty good news for members of the three groups, who will be allowed to march in the 12th Annual Long Beach Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 8, the Press-Telegram’s Kelly Puente reports.

“You can support the troops but not the war. There’s a few of the old-timers who still do not get that.” Military Families Speak Out’s Pat Alviso told the P-T. Her son has served two tours of duty in Iraq and may get sent to Afghanistan later this year.

Parade organizer Martha Thuente told the P-T that members of the groups will be allowed to carry one banner per group–but can’t make any political statements or pass out pamphlets.

Also, members of the three groups can wear T-shirts with their organization names but, Thuente told the P-T, are “encouraged to wear their uniforms, which makes more of a statement.” (Yes, it does; it makes more of a pro-war statement.)

Huh. As recently as January, Ninth District Councilman Val Lerch was against letting them wear the T-shirts. Wonder what changed his mind.

Tags: 11th Annual Long Beach Veterans Day Parade, 12th Annual Long Beach Veterans Day Parade, California, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Kelly Puente, Long Beach, Martha Thuente, Military Families Speak Out, Ninth District Councilman Val Lerch, Pat Alviso, press telegram, Southern California, The District Weekly, Theo Douglas, Veteran's For Peace