Parade honors beginning of draft

Oct. 15, 1940: With Europe at war, the United States instituted its first peacetime draft -- and Los Angeles held a parade on the eve of registration.

“In a strangely solemn, yet nevertheless gay mood, Los Angeles ... paid tribute to more than 450,000 young men who will register for military service. A huge parade, several miles in length, stretched up Broadway along 1st Street to Spring Street and beyond the City Hall, where public officials and military men reviewed the display of Southland youth and military might,” The Times said.

“For nearly two hours before the parade began, crowds gathered.... Wives, sweethearts, mothers, sisters, fathers and brothers too young to enter military service awaited the parade. Temporary seats were made of boxes, fireplugs, old cans and curbings.”