Just after 11 a.m. Friday, the 2016 Veterans Day Parade — officially America’s Parade — will start marching up Fifth Avenue from Madison Square Park to 53rd Street.
It’s a chance to honor the men and women who’ve donned uniforms in defense of this nation. We hope you show up to cheer.
Put on by the United War Veterans Council, the parade is America’s largest celebration of service. The 40,000 participants will pay special honor to post-9/11 military vets as well as police, firefighters and civilians who served as 9/11 responders.
This year’s featured service is the United States Coast Guard — which played a vital role in evacuating 500,000 people from lower Manhattan on 9/11.
In a first, the 2016 parade has three grand marshals, each a 9/11 responder and a veteran of America’s post-9/11 wars:
- Port Authority Acting COO and former Army National Guard Col. Stephanie Dawson, who served in Kuwait as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
- FDNY Battalion Chief Joseph Duggan, who served in Iraq with the Army Reserve.
- NYPD Det. Nelson Vergara, who served with the Marine Corps in Iraq.
Thanks to all veterans: The nation owes you an insurmountable debt. Please consider 30 blocks of cheers just a token of America’s gratitude.
