New York Veterans Day Parade draws thousands on a sunny day
Veterans Day Parade
A show of American pride swept the streets of New York City for the 100th annual Veterans Day Parade. This year's celebration involved as many as 30,000 participants and kicked off at Madison Square Park with remarks by President Donald Trump, the first sitting U.S. president to ever attend this march, the largest in the country.
NEW YORK - A show of American pride swept the streets of New York City for the 100th annual Veterans Day Parade.
"You have pride in people who are going to put their lives on the line for you," said Annette Gerard, of Brooklyn, who attends the parade every year.
This year's celebration involved as many as 30,000 participants and kicked off at Madison Square Park with remarks by President Donald Trump, the first sitting U.S. president to ever attend this march, the largest in the country.
"To the 18 million veterans across our country, the First Lady and I have come to express the everlasting love and loyalty of 327 million Americans," Trump said in his remarks.
Among the crowds lining the parade route, which stretched up Fifth Avenue from 26th Street to 46th Street, was Roy Sigfried, an Air Force veteran from Augusta, Maine, who said people had been coming up to him to thank him for his service all day.
"It feels good inside, connected," he said.
Savannah Gagliano, a 7th grader from Lawrenceville, NJ came dressed for the occasion.
"This is my great gransfathers old Air Force jacket from when he went to Japan and fought in the Air Force," said said, showing off the vintage uniform. She came, "To celebrate the people who died for our rights and freedom."
Among this year's Grand Marshals: World War II Marine Corps Veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Herschel "Woody" Williams. It was his second time participating in this parade.
"It really is for those who served, who are serving, and those who sacrficed a loved one for all of us," Williams said. "They gave more than we did."
As the marching bands and armored vehicles made their way north, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law a package of 14 bills aimed at improving services and protections for New York veterans, including one that will establish the state's first veteran's cemetery.
"This is our way of reciprocating for your service," Cuomo said.
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