Vanessa Amaya is an Army veteran and when she heard a crowd clapping at a Fourth of July parade in Staunton, she thought of patriotism and how she was honored to serve her country.

“It really means a lot to me since I am in the Military,” said Amaya.

She is from Staunton and fought in Afghanistan, which meant leaving behind her six-month old baby in order to serve America.

“I'm glad to be back. We get a lot of support from the community. They made us dinners when we got back home, and it was just really nice.”

Thousands of people headed to Staunton's Gypsy Hill Park on Wednesday. To celebrate the Fourth of July R.M. Stone dressed up as Uncle Sam.

“They like me to point like Uncle Sam on the poster, but they don't want me to smile,” said Stone. “They want me to look serious, like 'I want you.'”

He was humbled to wear Uncle Sam's suit.

“You want to do all you can to make sure it stays the country it's always been and do what you can to protect it and strengthen it all at the same time.”

Thousands of people went to Gypsy Hill Park to check out the July 4th parade. Several of those people remembered veterans who fought for our country, especially those who came from Staunton.

Amaya was thankful to be back in Staunton for Independence Day, celebrating in her hometown that celebrates her.

“Everyone comes together and you can see how much people do care about America,” said Amaya.

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