Parade marks big anniversary for Army, Marines and Navy

The 106th New York City Veterans Day Parade took place Tuesday, Nov. 11 along Fifth Avenue from 25th to 45th Street, with the reviewing grandstand set at the beginning of the parade.

It was the nation’s largest tribute to America veterans and it was one of the coldest marches in recent years. The combination of freezing temperatures and bone-chilling winds was something of a challenge as you marched up the avenue. I know some groups had color guards that had to hold on tight to their wind-swept flags.

This year’s parade heralded the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy, all founded in 1775. Grand marshals were Medal of Honor recipient and Army veteran Clinton Romesha, Marine Corps veteran Stephen Peck and Navy veteran Sunita Williams, also a former astronaut.

Each year the parade is hosted by the United War Veterans (UWC) of New York. Prior to the march, at 10:55 a.m., the UWC held its wreath-laying ceremony  at the base of the Eternal Light Flagstaff monument flagpole in Madison Square Park. The NYPD ceremonial color guard presented the colors and a soldier in a World War I doughboy uniform played “Taps.”

Originally it was called the Armistice Day Parade, when the march commemorated the end of World War I in 1918. It was changed to Veterans Day on June 1, 1954.

Once again there was a strong participation by the United Military Veterans of Kings County, headed by Air Force veteran Ray Aalbue, the same group that hosts the boroughwide  Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade in Bay Ridge. They had a float jointly sponsored by the UMVKC, the Coffey-Wilson Post of the American Legion and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

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Many years ago, one of the naval youth organizations that took part in this parade and many others in the tri-state area with their marching band, color guard and a white-painted Amphibious DUKW (aka Duck) was the Bluejackets Guard USA Corps of Naval Cadets. This group, which was home-based in Bay Ridge from 1936 to 1996, was founded by Capt. Frank W. Rice. It served boys and girls ages 9 to 18 and also had detachments in Staten Island and other Brooklyn neighborhoods. They used to hold their annual military review and presentation of awards in the U.S. Naval Reserve Training Center at the 2nd Naval Battalion Armory, on First Avenue and 52nd Street. 

Since I often encounter adults who were members when they were kids, I would like them to know, as well as others, there is a Facebook page called Bluejackets Guard USA Corps of Naval Cadets Alumni that has several photos of this former youth program.