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Honoring America's Veterans & KTAR PresentHonor Our Heroes

Veterans Grand Marshal Program

Nominate A Veteran

Congratulations to the 2024 Veteran's Grand Marshals

David J Hunt

David J Hunt

"I feel honored, humbled and surprised to be selected as a Grand Marshal to represent the Vietnam era. I feel that there would be many veterans that would be more deserving than me.”

David J Hunt was drafted into the U.S. Army in October 1966. After jump school, he was assigned to the 82nd ABN Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. He was later transferred to the 101st ABN Division and was deployed with A Co, 1/502 Infantry 101st ABN in 1967.
David was wounded in 1968. After getting out of the hospital, he was sent back to the states and was discharged from active duty at Fort Lewis, Wash.

In 1982, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves where he served in post security. In 1985, he transferred to the Army Reserves. He became an Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) agent in the reserves and attended Warrant Officer School.

In 2003, David was activated with his unit the 307th MP. Det. (CID) and deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. He later was transferred to the Active Guard Reserve and sent back to the states to help set up a new Army reserve CID unit in Phoenix, the 225 MP Det. (CID). He served as the commander and operations officer until he retired from the Army reserve as a Chief Warrant Officer 4, on Feb. 1, 2008.

James Wolfenden

James Wolfenden

“To me, accepting this nomination to be a Grand Marshal is for my brothers who lost their lives fighting for our freedom and way of life. I try to live my life in a way that honors them, and this is one of the ways I feel I can do that. I want the memory of the warriors from OIF and every other conflict to be remembered.”

James Wolfenden has a long history of serving his country and community. After graduating from Prescott High School, he worked as a wildland firefighter for the Prescott Fire Department (later known as Granite Mountain Hotshots) before joining the U.S. Marine Corps in 2003.

James was passionate about serving after 9/11. During his time in the Marines, he served in multiple combat deployments to Fallujah and other hot spots during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He received numerous combat-related awards and accolades and was injured during combat operations. He served in 3rd Bn 4th Marines and 1st Bn 5th Marines. He also served as a professional marksmanship instructor and a recruiter in New York City. He was honorably discharged after more than eight years of service with a rank of Sergeant.

Following his military career, James became a police officer with both the Tucson and Phoenix police departments, earning recognition for his service before being medically retired after being severely injured on duty in 2017. He served in multiple duties while a police officer, including undercover operations, fugitive apprehension and neighborhood crimes.

James owns a painting company, Paint Corps. of Phoenix North, and serves as the director of sales for Copper State Pavement. In his free time, James coaches football at Brophy College Preparatory, enjoys outdoor activities and traveling with his family.
James is dedicated to helping veterans and first responders. He is working to launch a non-profit organization, Make Ready. This new organization will provide support for those who have experienced traumatic experiences return to normal life and assist with employment transitions once their service has ended. He is a proud father to his children, Brody and Brooklyn, and husband to Dina Wolfenden.

Nancy Fassbender

Nancy Fassbender

“It is my honor to be selected to be the Grand Marshal for the Phoenix Veterans Day parade. My mission is to thank all the veterans and especially welcome home the Vietnam veterans. Because of them, the Department of Defense changed the military and understood they needed updated equipment, and uniforms that would be for the environment that they had to be in. I also want the children to understand what it takes to cherish and enjoy their freedom. That is why I include children in my events. I want them to be able to meet and thank a veteran.”

Nancy Fassbender joined the Army National Guard in 1975. She was a helicopter mechanic and worked on Huey helicopters. She was honorably discharged in 1978 as an E4.
She is a former board member and historian for the Pinal County Veterans Memorial Foundation. She is the author of the book, “My Fallen Hero.”

Nancy is an honorary member of East Valley POW Chapter and a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart chapter 2560.
Nancy has done many veterans events in the Valley. This is her fourth year with Wreaths Across America for honoring interred veterans in the East Valley at Mountain View Cemetery in Mesa.

In 2020, she was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society. Only one-tenth of 1% of veterans in Arizona receive this high honor. She is currently serving as a board director to the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society Board.

For the past six years, Nancy has served as an active member and ambassador of the Apache Junction Area Chamber of Commerce. She enjoys networking with other companies as well as being an ambassador, spreading the word about the Apache Junction/Gold Canyon community. In October, Nancy was awarded the 2022 Community Cup award for her volunteerism in making a difference in her community.
Nancy has made it her mission to thank Vietnam veterans and welcome them home. She has done over 100 pinning ceremonies since she started four years ago. In 2023, Nancy was asked by the Department of Defense to organize a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans celebration, which drew about 1,800 people. At the ceremony, she was honored with the Quilt of Valor.

In 2023, she also was honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution and was presented the Community Service Award.

Rosa Linda Regalado

Rosa Linda Regalado

“It is an honor to be chosen as the Grand Marshal for my era of conflict, particularly as a woman who served in the Afghanistan War. This recognition highlights that women can make significant contributions and drive change for future generations of women in upcoming conflicts.”

Retired Staff Sgt. Rosa Linda Regalado was born and raised in a tiny town, Manzanola, Colorado, with a population of about 300 people.

Her uncle, Juan Martinez, served in the U.S. Army and was her idol. As a young little girl, she remembers watching commercials about the U.S. Navy and telling her mother that she wanted to be a pilot and fly planes so she could save people. After graduating high school, Rosa Linda joined the military in 1999. She was the only female in her family to join the U.S. Navy.

Among the jobs she held were operations specialist, medical operations and automated logistics specialist. She completed three combat tours in the U.S Navy and six combat tours in the U.S. Army. Throughout her career, she traveled all over the world and trained with various armed forces of other countries.

Rosa Linda has a 15-year-old daughter and a 21-year-old son, who is serving in the U.S. Navy as an aircraft electrician stationed in Guam.

During her service, she endured many injuries during combat. The military taught her to be strong, be proud and be determined at anything she accomplishes in life. She served with pride and wants to provide great strength to those women who continue to serve.

While on active duty, she earned two college degrees: an associate of arts in dental assisting and a bachelor’s degree in community programs support services from the University of Phoenix.
After retiring from the service in 2008 as a Staff Sergeant (SSG), Rosa Linda has continued to work in the medical and dental field. She also has been a volunteer basketball coach for young teenage girls in Fountain, Colorado.

Rosa Linda now works as a dental assistant and financial coordinator in Chandler. She is training to compete in bodybuilding and is enjoying life with her daughter and two dogs.

Thomas Kendra

Thomas Kendra

“Being nominated for Grand Marshal is a humbling experience, but being chosen to reflect the best of the soldiers I served with in the Persian Gulf is an honor.”

Enlisting in the military had a profound impact on shaping Thomas Kendra’s identity. With his parent’s permission at the age of 17, he joined the U.S. Army to become an infantry soldier. His journey began in 1987, and he soon found himself 900 miles away from home, starting a completely new way of life.

Basic training was a pivotal period during which Thomas gained confidence, surpassed his previous limitations, honed basic leadership skills, and developed effective communication skills.

His first regular duty station was with the 101st Airborne Division where he served as an assistant gunner for a 60mm mortar squad. Over time, he progressed to become the squad leader of the same mortar squad.
As a member of B Company 3/327th Infantry, Thomas participated in special company training courses at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. and the Northern Warfare Training Center at Fort Greely, Alaska. His unit frequently acted as opposing forces for the Mechanized Infantry that trained at Fort Knox, Ky. He attended the Air Assault School, Combat Lifesavers Course and Primary Leadership Development Course.

On Aug. 12, 1991, Thomas was discharged from active duty as an Infantry Squad Leader just 10 days after Iraq forces invaded Kuwait, his unit was one of the first to have boots on the ground in Saudi Arabia. Thomas said they completed their mission as part of the 18th Airborne Corp with great success and minimal casualties.

Thomas was honored to receive the Combat Infantry Badge, Army Good Conduct Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Achievement Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two brass service stars, Expert Rifle and Mortar Badges.

Thomas considers himself fortunate to have been a soldier. Not many people can say that they've had a tank roll over them, thrown hand grenades, operated million-dollar weapon systems, flown in helicopters just feet above the tree line, banked through canyons, rappelled down buildings and out of helicopters, navigated miles of rugged terrain with just a compass and a topographical map, jumped sand dunes in a foreign country in a military Humvee, and known the camaraderie that soldiers share.

William “Bill” Merdick

William “Bill” Merdick

“Although I never saw combat, I am extremely honored to represent the Navy veterans of the Korean War, especially those who saw combat and those who lost their lives.” 

William “Bill” Merdick is a native Arizonan. Bill has a love for God and pride for his country. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy to serve his country in 1951, and he married his high school sweetheart, Linda, in 1952.

Bill was stationed at the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic Headquarters in Norfolk, Va. and was a Yeoman Third Class. During the Korean War, he had top secret clearance for the United States because of the material that he was handling and he also had NATO cosmic top secret clearance, which required an extensive FBI background check. There were officers present from several NATO countries who would write war plans out in longhand and then a half dozen yeoman would type up the official plans to give back to the officers. The officer in charge was always an Admiral from the U.S. Navy, who was the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic.

After he was released from active duty in 1954, Bill moved back to Arizona and became an engineer for a telephone company. Bill and Linda started a family and bought a piece of land for farming and created a family legacy home. Bill and Linda were married for 59 years before she went home to heaven. He has three sons, two daughters-in-laws, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

His granddaughter described Bill as not just a veteran, but he is a man of godly character, compassion, wisdom, resilience and is tough as nails! He will inconvenience himself to help another person. When she was diagnosed with cancer and in the hospital, Bill was also in the hospital for heart surgery. After they were both discharged to return home, he pushed through whatever pain or healing he was going through to take care of her.

His granddaughter said Bill never gives up and he keeps pushing forward. She thanks her grandpa, and all those who serve this country because without their resilience and sacrifice, there would be no freedom.

William Keim

William Keim

“I want to let the public about the part the Merchant Marines played in the successful conclusion of World War II.  The Battle of the North Atlantic was the longest and deadliest battle of WWII and lasted five years, cost 1,500 ships and the lives of 72,000 men of all nations.  Over time, the knowledge of WWII and the sacrifices made are being lost to younger generations. Being Grand Marshal is an honor and a reminder to everyone about the severity of war.”

William “Bill” Keim joined the U.S. Merchant Marines at 17, in 1943. After training at Sheepshead Bay, N.Y., he shipped out of San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, where he worked as an oiler in the engine room, and brought food, arms and ammunition to troops. He spent over a year in the Battle of the Atlantic, where he was awarded the Convoy Cup Medal for service in an active war zone.

Bill is proud of serving his country during WWII, and felt it was a privilege and duty to protect his country and the American way of life.

In 2024, Bill was invited to Washington D.C. to be the sole representative of the U.S. Merchant Marines (USMM) on a float in the Memorial Day Parade.

Bill was president of the Desert Mariners, a group of USMM vets, for about seven years in Phoenix. He took part in an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. several years ago and in return, spoke at fundraisers for the organization. He's spoken at American Express, Intel, schools, and did talks over Zoom during Covid. He's an honorary member of the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., American Merchant Marine Veterans and a 32nd Degree Mason.

After being discharged in 1946 as a Junior Engineer, Bill returned to St. Louis to marry Hazel Leimbach. He worked as a draftsman. a fabrication pipe salesman and a mechanical contractor.

In 1963, he was hired as a financier for new construction in Arizona. He was president of Turf Irrigation and Waterworks Co. until his retirement in 1990. Being bored, he worked for Backflow Prevention as a salesman until he turned 85 then retired again.

Bill received many service medals and ribbons for sailing in different areas, the Convoy Cup Medal for service under combat (awarded jointly by Canada and Norway), and his greatest treasure, the Congressional Gold Medal, awarded to all USMM veterans as a belated thank you and acknowledgement of service. He proudly wears it during veterans’ events.

Nominate today, the deadline for applications is August 16th!

Honor. Respect. Gratitude. These are the characteristics Honoring America’s Veterans (HAV) seeks in candidates for the “Honor Our Heroes” Veterans Grand Marshals competition. Through this program, HAV will select seven winners—one for each era of service to serve as Parade Grand Marshals. Nominate your deserving veteran today!

Honor Our Heroes is proudly sponsored by KTAR News 92.3 FM

Veteran Grand Marshal winners receive:

  • Parade participation – winners ride in the Parade.
  • Receive recognition by announcers at the eight-speaker towers along the parade route.
  • VIP Seating at the Parade for your family members.
  • Marshal’s bio and photo printed in the print/online parade program and HAV’s website.
  • Potential media recognition and thanks.
  • Veterans Day commemorative items.
  • Parade Awards Ceremony seating for four people to see you get your final recognition mementos. 

Winning nominators receive:

  • VIP Seating at the Parade to watch your nominee ride as a Marshal.
  • Invitations to other special events to support your winning nominee.
  • Parade Awards Ceremony seating for two to watch your nominee gain special recognition.
  • Veterans Day commemorative items.

To be nominated, the veteran must have served on active-duty or recalled as a reservist and be an honorably discharged veteran of any United States military branch who served during one of the following eras:

  • World War II − 1941 to 1945
  • The Korean War − 1950 to 1953
  • The Vietnam War − 1958 to 1975
  • Cold War − 1945 to 1991
  • Desert Storm − 1990 to 1991
  • Operation Enduring Freedom − 2001 to ongoing (or other supporting campaigns)
  • Operation Iraqi Freedom − 2003 to 2011

Please denote any medals, ribbons, combat actions/or special efforts of recognition in your nomination. These may include gallantry, distinguished service, commendation, achievement, etc. (A list is available on Wikipedia.)

Please ensure your nomination write-up identifies the honor, bravery, dedication to service, community involvement, and support of our military or veterans from your nominees time on active duty or in the reserves to the present day.  Your write-up is the single most compelling piece to help sway the judges.

Nominations for Veteran Grand Marshal will close August 16, 2024.

Read the Official Rules and Participate

Learn how you can take part in the competition for a chance to claim a prize.

Read Official Rules

Nominations for Veteran Grand Marshall are now closed for the 2024 Veteran’s Day Parade.

Disclaimer: All submitted information becomes the property of Honoring America’s Veterans. It reserves the right to change or alter this event or activity due to public health or other national, personal, or business issues that may impact our nonprofit.

Honoring America's Veterans

Honoring America’s Veterans

6501 East Greenway Parkway, #103-235,
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Phone: (480) 368-8714
Email: paula.pedene@honoringamericasveterans.org

Honoring America’s Veterans celebrates the sacrifice and service of veterans and their families through events that express our deep gratitude and respect.
The Phoenix Veteran’s Day Parade is managed and presented by Honoring America’s Veterans, Inc.

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