Bronxites gathered in Throggs Neck Sunday to honor the brave New Yorkers who fought for their country at the 40th annual Veterans Day Parade. The parade also honored the 245th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps.
Uniformed Vets marched in lock-step carrying flags, while a group of retired military Vets cruised down the street on motorcycles, their leather jackets covered in patches, proudly declaring they served. Kilt wearing bagpipers marched along the route playing patriotic tunes while generations of Veterans and their families followed behind, many wearing uniforms or waving American Flags.
The event culminated at Bicentennial Veterans Memorial Park with a ceremony to honor Veterans. Officials spoke about the importance of the armed forces in protecting the nation’s democracy.
Ron Watson—a retired Lieutenant Colonel, US Marine Corps and chair of the Veterans Day Parade Committee—introduced the theme for the occasion, “Global War on Terrorism – The Mission Continues.” He spoke about Sept. 11, 2001.
“There are few things that we remember in vivid detail throughout our lives, than that Tuesday in September,” Watson said. “For all Americans, 9/11 evokes a special meaning, a moment in our history, when the world as we knew it, changed forever.”
He also introduced Grand Marshalls retired Major Jason Brezler, USMCR, and Corporal Joseph Ronda, USMCR who were both deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Brezler, who also serves as an FDNY Captain and part of the Christian Engeldrum FDNY Veterans of Foreign Wars Club, spoke about the connection between the FDNY and the military. A group of 47 FDNY fire fighters stood in the park, each holding an American Flag to represent the 47 FDNY fire fighters who have been killed in action while serving in the military. He recognized men and women who were too young to remember the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center yet continued to answer the call to service with honor and distinction.
“I think their story is the American story,” Brezler said. “One of character, courage, commitment, love and resilience.”
All of the speakers at the ceremony were in agreement that their time in the military shaped their lives and represents a core part of who they are today.
Calvin Wilson Sr., E4 Special Forces, marched in the parade and attended the ceremony with, “his brothers and sisters in the service.” He joined the military as a way to access higher education. Wilson Sr. fought in the Vietnam War, where he was captured by the Vietcong and released in 1963. Wilson said that he still thinks about the veterans he was captured with that weren’t so lucky.
“Respect to all of those that made the ultimate sacrifices first and foremost,” Wilson Sr. said “What I’ve actually learned is that all of us are in it together. Vets and non-vets. All of us are in it together to make it a better world.”
