The 42nd Annual Bronx Veterans Parade will take place Sunday, Nov. 8, at noon, beginning at the corner of Lafayette and East Tremont avenues.
Lt. Col. Ron Watson and Laura Leich, directors of the event’s sponsoring organization, the United Veterans Parade Committee of Greater New York Inc., are coordinating the parade.
JonPaul Conover, a retired U.S. Army staff sergeant who received a Purple Heart and an Army Commendation Medal with Valor for his service in Iraq, will serve as the parade’s grand marshal. Conover is also the post commander of American Legion Post 1456.
The United Veteran’s Parade Committee of Greater NY also selected eight Honorary Grand Marshals.
- BG Robert Mennona, U.S Army. He rose from Private to Brigadier General and is a lifetime
member of the Leonard H. Hawkins American Legion Post. - Richard M. Bonilla, Sr., U.S. Navy, served as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician at Naval Air
Station, Newport, RI. - Patrick Mooney, U.S. Army, served in Vietnam as a Field Artilleryman. He was a former
Commander of the Throggs Neck Memorial American Legion Post 1456. - Private Milton Ayala, U.S. Army, served with the Second Armored Division Supply at Fort Hood,
TX. - Private First Class Samuel Sodofsky served as an Infantryman and truck driver for the 90th Army
Reserve Command. He is a member of the Theodore Korony American Legion Post. - Fireman Apprentice Frank Liquorie, U.S. Navy served in the Pacific Campaign during WW II.
- Corporal Jose Rivera-Carrion, U.S. Army was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry during the
Korean War while serving with the 65 th Infantry Regiment, the Borinqueneers. - Sergeant Donald Mahoney, U.S. Army served as an Infantryman in Special Operations with the
12 th Infantry Regiment in Vietnam. He is a former Commander of the Captain Edward L. Grant
Post 1225.
The parade is also paying tribute to 102-year-old WWII veteran Seaman First Class, Santiago Rodriguez, Jr., U.S. Navy, who enlisted in September 1941 and served aboard the carrier USS HORNET CV-8. After Pearl Harbor he supported the Doolittle Raid and the Battle of Santa Cruz.
Several key anniversaries will be recognized: the 250th birthday of the United States of America, the 85th anniversary of America’s entry into WWII and the 50th anniversary of the Bicentennial Veteran’s Memorial Park.
50 years ago, despite heavy community opposition, two Vietnam-era Throggs Neck vets pushed ahead to transform the garbage strewn Weir Creek Park into Bicentennial Veterans’ Memorial Park. The two veterans, Pat Devine and Tom Hansen, with the support of Councilman Michael De Marco, relentlessly pursued their dream.
The waterfront parkland up to that point was nothing but a wasteland of derelict stripped autos and construction debris left on the site from the building of the Throgs Neck Expressway. Eventually they won the support of the area’s state representatives, Senator John Calandra and Assemblyman Guy Velella and Community Board 10. Weir Creek Park was renamed in honor of veterans.
The SUNY Maritime College marching band, FDNY and NYPD, local schools, are participating this year. All the Bronx County American Legion posts will march as one group. The Korony Post is providing the Color Guard.
The parade will travel down East Tremont Avenue to Randall Avenue, to Ellsworth Ave, then to Throgs Neck Expressway Service.
