Across the nation Tuesday, Americans honored the men and women who have served in uniform for Veterans Day.
In New York City, the 106th annual Veterans Day Parade commemorates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps, the three military service branches founded during the Revolutionary War.
This year’s parade features veterans from every generation of service since World War II, with three grand marshals representing each of the historic branches.
NYC parade honors Army, Navy and Marine Corps
Tuesday’s festivities began with a group “ruck march,” a form of military fitness training that strengthens muscles and endurance, preparing troops for the physical demands of battle, with participants wearing weighted rucksacks.
The troops marched through war memorials and historic landmarks across Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn before merging into the parade to help carry a large American flag up 5th Avenue.
The Veterans Day Parade features more than 200,000 marchers, 150 vehicles and 25 floats — the nation’s largest celebration honoring military service.
Parade grand marshals represent each branch
Army Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Clinton Lavor Romesha will lead the Army delegation. A third-generation veteran, Romesha earned the nation’s highest military honor for heroism during the 2009 battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan.
Representing the Marine Corps is Stephen Peck, a Vietnam veteran and senior adviser of U.S. VETS, the nation’s largest nonprofit dedicated to ending veteran homelessness. The son of actor Gregory Peck, he’s also a filmmaker, known for his documentary “Far From Home,” which spotlights homeless Vietnam veterans in Venice, California.
For the Navy, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams joins as grand marshal. In March, Williams completed a 286-day mission aboard the International Space Station, setting a record for the most time spent spacewalking by a woman — 62 hours and 6 minutes.
She’s logged more than 3,000 flights in over 30 aircraft, demonstrating exceptional skill and versatility as both a naval aviator and test pilot.
