{"id":36414,"date":"2025-11-11T21:02:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T21:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/36414\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T21:02:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T21:02:14","slug":"the-bronx-veterans-day-parade-honors-250-years-of-army-navy-and-marine-corps-bronx-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/36414\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bronx Veterans Day Parade honors 250 years of Army, Navy and Marine Corps \u2013 Bronx Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"United\t\t\t<\/p>\n

United States Army Sergeant First Class Ron Garcia (left) and U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer David Wray (right) salute as a trumpet player blows out \u201cTaps,\u201d honoring those who died serving their country for the Bronx Veterans Day Parade.<\/p>\n

Photo: Sadie Brown<\/p>\n

Hundreds lined East Tremont Avenue on Sunday, cheering and waving American flags as the men and women of the Bronx who served in the military marched through Throggs Neck for the 41st annual Bronx Veterans Day Parade<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Culminating at Bicentennial Veterans Memorial Park, marching units representing local chapters of veterans\u2019 organizations, civic groups and community supporters donned uniforms and patriotic colors as fire-engines, color-guards and bands combined in one coordinated tribute.<\/p>\n

United States Army Sergeant First Class Ron Garcia, one of the parade\u2019s grand marshals, spoke about how being a veteran often instills someone with a lifelong commitment to service in many different ways.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aOur veterans are not just warriors of the battlefield, they\u2019re the quiet strength of our communities,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cThey are our teachers, our leaders, our neighbors, and our friends. They\u2019re the living proof that courage, duty, and sacrifice are not just words from a history book, they are the heartbeat of this great nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s parade celebrated 250 years since the establishment of the United States Army, Navy and Marine Corps in 1775. It also celebrated 80 years since the end of World War I and 50 years since the end of the Vietnam war. Garcia said that Americans had a duty to raise the next generation to respect and honor those who serve.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aAs we look ahead to the next 250 years, may we honor the past by continuing to build a nation worthy of sacrifices made on our behalf,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cLet us teach our children not just to wave the flag, but to understand the value it represents: duty, honor, respect, and selfless service.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CadetsCadets from SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx marched in their dress uniforms for the celebration Sunday. Photo by Sadie Brown<\/p>\n

David Wray, a U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer with 41 years in the service, said that he always felt a call to give back and decided to join in high school when he saw an ad in a magazine.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aIt\u2019s made me the man I am today. It turned me from a young dumb kid, into a man being responsible and accountable,\u201d Wray said. Those are the basic foundations I feel that it has given me which I\u2019ve tried to pass on to my children.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Roberto Diaz, who is a retired warrant officer with 38 years in the service said that he felt privileged to be able to celebrate, but recalled that many service members have died doing their duty.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aWhen you come out here, you reflect, you realize that you\u2019re definitely blessed to come out here and at least participate in honoring those who can\u2019t be here,\u201d Diaz said. \u201cSo this is the least that we could do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The ceremony took time to recognize those who had sacrificed their lives. At the front of the\u00a0 staging area there were two sets of boots, a rifle and a helmet to symbolize soldiers who had died. <\/p>\n

The parade\u2019s grand marshals, Sergeant First Class Garcia, U.S. Navy Electricians Mate Austin T Richardson and U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Michael McNerney, hung dog tags over the helmets as a tribute to the service members who had died.<\/p>\n

\"OneOne of the parade\u2019s grand marshals, U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Michael McNerney, marches away after hanging dog tags over a helmet that is perched atop a rifle, symbolizing veterans from the Bronx that have died. Photo by Sadie Brown<\/p>\n

Veterans told the Bronx Times that while it was important to remember the past and memorialize those who gave their lives, they also needed to look toward the military\u2019s future. Diaz said that it\u2019s important for veterans to engage with young people and encourage patriotism and a desire to give back.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to show the young generation that we\u2019re still here and that we didn\u2019t forget about them, and hopefully one day when it\u2019s their turn to understand the fabric of God, country and duty, that they\u2019ll step up and serve as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JaneJane Fox and Louise Dobriner together make up the duo \u201cTwin Gold\u201d and have performed at the Bronx Veterans Day Parade ceremony for three years running. Photo: Sadie Brown<\/p>\n

Beyond the pageantry, the parade served as a reminder of the continuing challenges facing many veterans as they transition to civilian life. Access to affordable housing, mental health resources, and employment opportunities remain pressing issues across New York City.\u00a0<\/p>\n

New York City\u2019s Department of Veterans Services<\/a> Commissioner Lieutenant Colonel James Hendon said the department and local non-profits have expanded outreach efforts in recent years, aiming to connect veterans with the benefits and community support they\u2019ve earned.<\/p>\n

But Hendon said that many veterans aren\u2019t actually accessing all the benefits that they qualify for. He told the Bronx Times that NYC Veterans Services is committed to addressing the disparity in the number of service members who may be missing out on crucial support.<\/p>\n

\"NewNew York City\u2019s Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Lieutenant Colonel James Hendon spoke about the importance of making sure that vets are accessing all of the support and benefits that they are entitled to after serving in the military. Photo: Sadie Brown<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aFor us, if you\u2019ve taken the oath, you are in that tribe,\u201d Hendon said. \u201cYou\u2019re in that community regardless of your length of service, the type of service or your character of discharge.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that access to benefits is important, especially now amid the historic government shutdown that disproportionately affects veterans, who make up an outsized population of federal employees.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aWe stand here at that gap to be there for our brothers and sisters and their loved ones with anything that\u2019s happening in these times,\u201d Hendon said.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe NYPD flew a police helicopter over the crowd, in a nod to the veterans of the Bronx, many of whom also serve in the police department following their return to civilian life. Photo by Sadie Brown<\/p>\n

For the hundreds of spectators and marchers, the parade reaffirmed that the community\u2019s appreciation for service does not depend on the status of the federal budget. \u200aRetired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, Ron Watson, told the Bronx Times that the parade is one of the hallmark events in the Bronx, which he called the \u201cmost patriotic borough\u201d in the city of New York.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aWhen you look at a community, there\u2019s just a few events that become the fabric of a neighborhood that keeps the community together,\u201d Watson said \u201cAnd one of them is the veterans parade.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reach Sadie Brown at\u00a0sbrown@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or (214) 994-6723. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n

\t