America Celebrates It’s Vets In Grand New York Style

Flags of Honor

On the coldest day of the year so far, the 98th NYC Veteran’s Day Parade was getting prepped with ceremonies and laying of the wreaths at Madison Square Park on 23rd St. and Madison Ave. This is the largest Veteran’s Day Parade in the country and always brings out the best in our Armed Forces and all the people and organizations that support our Vets. It’s the culmination of a week long celebration of Veteran’s Week. After the 21 gun salute at the Eternal Light Flagstaff at Madison Square Park, marchers gathered on 5th Ave. to get ready for a grand celebration. With temperatures still in the 20s at the start of the parade, there was still a large crowd on the parade route waiting for their heroes to arrive. As much as I wanted to complain about the cold weather, I reminded myself how some of the very people being honored endured much harsher elements far from home to defend our freedom and our way of life. So I just sucked it up and got excited when I saw one of the first groups marching up the parade route. A sacred relic recovered after the 9/11 attack was prominently displayed by the Ground Zero Flag Group with everyone applauding as they marched up chanting USA…USA..USA. The applaud kept going as Grand Marshall Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon and Korean War veteran waved to the crowd from the convertible. Parade organizers celebrated the 100th anniversary of the US entry into WW1 with a group replicating marching soldiers. It was nice but didn’t have horses that played a huge role in military efforts in that War.

Buzz Aldrich Waving To the Crowd

WW1 Army Soldiers ready to serve

Air Force Honor Guard

All the US military forces send Honor Guards, marching bands and junior corp groups as a show of force and to honor vets with dignity. The first group to land was the Air Force Honor Guard with their sharp blue uniforms and elite marching band. They got the crowd worked up as they made their way to the reviewing stand in front of the New York Public Library on 41st St. The New York City Veteran’s Day Parade is also a chance for marching bands across the country to show off their tunes. One of the better bands to arrive came from Hinsdale, Illinois with their devil red uniforms. The first of the floats with our beloved vets arrived with WW2 fighters waving to the crowd. They were soon followed by the Daughters of the American Revolution float and the Korean War vets float. One of the loudest groups emerged with the Vietnam Vets and the Iraqi/Afghanistan Vets kicking up some dirt. Support groups raised awareness about their efforts to help vets integrate back into the workforce or continue to get assistance for every aspect of life. The Wounded Warrior Project continues to have the largest representation at the parade. Another marching band from Marion, North Carolina made its way up the parade route. McDowell HS Marching Band got the crowd worked up for the next Armed Forces band. The 77th Sustainable Army Brigade Marching Band played the traditional Army song. The Marine Corp. are too consumed with military protocol to have a marching band but Maury HS Commodores had their back.

WW2 Vets Being Honored

Go Navy

Coast Guard Marching Up 5th Ave.

This year’s most impressive band had to be the Navy with members of the USS Hue City coming on board the parade route with lots of energy. The lead group got into it more when I yelled out Go Navy. Beat Army, referring to the classic annual football game to close out the season. They had a great group and were soon followed by the Coast Guard with their PT boat and marching band. Local colleges and universities sent their reps to help honor the vets. Showing the off the best float was the rocking Fairleigh Dickinson University with Coyote Love having some fun with the crowd. They were awesome. It was a great parade in honor of the men and women that sacrificed so much to help make the US safe. Thank You.