American Eagle Honors Veterans at 28th Annual Phoenix Veterans Day Parade to Take Place on Nov. 11, 2024, at 11 a.m.
PHOENIX—A majestic eagle helium balloon with a 30-foot wingspan will soar above the crowd at the 28th annual Honoring America’s Veterans Phoenix Veterans Day Parade. It will join eight other helium balloons, several floats, color guards, and an award-winning high school marching band performing works by John Philip Sousa and songs of the armed forces.
Nearly 45,000 attendees will line the streets of Phoenix at 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11 to offer thanks to our nation’s veterans on Veterans Day.
“Planning the Phoenix Veterans Day parade is a joy, and one of the highlights is working with the dedicated volunteers, whose support and hard work make this event possible,” said U.S. Navy Veteran and Parade Coordinator Paula Pedene. “Nearly half of the veterans in Arizona are Vietnam Veterans, so we chose the theme Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans, Sacrifice Remembered to honor those veterans whose enlistment wasn’t voluntary and recognize their courage in the face of difficult circumstances beyond their control. We hope the community will join us as we come together to celebrate the bravery and sacrifices of all those who have served to protect our freedom and this great nation.”
The nonprofit Honoring America’s Veterans presents the parade. Spectators can watch anywhere along the route, which begins at Montebello Street and Central Avenue, crosses East on Camelback, and turns south on 7th Street. This year’s parade has eighty-four entries and is expected to last about 1.5 hours.
“The best places to see the parade – with the most convenient parking area are on Camelback Road and 7th Street” added Pedene. “This parade deeply touches the lives of our veterans as we remember and thank them for their sacrifice and protection of our freedom.”
This year’s Celebrity Grand Marshal is former Arizona Diamondback and Major League Baseball World Series Winner Luis Gonzalez, and he will be available to speak to the media about their military service and support of veterans. He will join the Veteran Grand Marshals selected from the Honor Our Heroes Program, who received nearly 50 community submissions to vie for the title of Veteran Grand Marshal. The Grand Marshals represent Veterans from every foreign war or conflict from World War II through Afghanistan.
including:
- World War II, U.S. Merchant Marines Junior Engineer William Keim, Scottsdale
- Korean War, U.S. Navy Yeoman 3rd Class William Merdick, Peoria
- Vietnam War, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 David Hunt, Waddell
- Cold War, U.S. Army Specialist 4 Nancy Fassbender, Gold Canyon
- Desert Storm, U.S. Army Specialist 4 Thomas Kendra, Scottsdale
- Afghanistan War, U.S. Army/Navy Staff Sergeant Rosa Regalado, Chandler
- Iraq War, U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant James Wolfenden, Phoenix
To learn more about the parade, how to attend, traffic closure, the Grand Marshals and essay contest winners, visit https://honoringamericasveterans.org/phoenix-veterans-day-parade/.
About Honoring America’s Veterans
Founded in 2011, Honoring America’s Veterans salutes veterans and their loved ones by thanking, honoring, and recognizing them for their service and patriotism to our country. HAV is a 501c3 that presents the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade, the Veterans Leadership Forum, the Parade’s Veterans Grand Marshal Competition, the Parade’s High School Essay Competition, the Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance Ceremony, the Parade Victory Party/Awards Event and offers support to the National Memorial Cemetery’s Memorial Day Program
Free parade Images are available at https://honoringamericasveterans.smugmug.com/
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