this morning i caught the opening ceremonies in madison square park for the 89th annual nyc veteran’s day parade, the largest in the country,

(i didn't stick around for the parade itself, though). enjoy!

 

HS ROTC students, a float & the esb – and beautiful fall weather

   

 

The marine corps band

   

 

Great views of Madison Square Park area in those horns!

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Flatiron views

   

 

 

 

 

These families came all the way from sacramento, california  :|

 

Pfc. Raymond N. Spencer Jr.

Killed by insurgents in bagdad 11/21/07

 

Marine Lance Cpl. Jeramy A. Ailes

Killed in anbar 11/15/04

 

 

Every war and every branch of vets as you can imagine

   

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

Congressional medal of honor winner & a WWII WAC

   

 

Color guard

 

mayor Bloomberg

   

 

   

 

 

bill nelson, Vietnam vet & CEO of home box office

   

 

A three star general

 

LIEUTENANT GENERAL RAYMOND E. JOHNS JR.

Lt. Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr. is Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. General Johns develops, integrates, evaluates and analyzes the U.S. Air Force Future Years Defense Program that exceeds $822 billion, and the Air Force Long-Range Plan to support national security objectives and military strategy. The general is responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff. (his bio sez he was at wright-pat 85-91 flying experimental planes, too).

   

 

This lovely lady is ms. edith shain, whom I assure you we all know very, very well….

   

 

   

 

….you might recognize ms. Shain better from V-J Day in times square!  :angel:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%E2%80%93J_day_in_Times_Square

 

don buzney, MC of the ceremonies, Ohioan, voice actor & marine Vietnam vet, got a big laugh when he quppied, ”Ms. Shain has said she never saw the navyman after that, but if he had been a marine you can be sure he would have followed up!”  :laugh:

 

 

The peppy new andrews sisters sang & the head of the parks dept noted this monument is the only one with the someone buried underneath.  It’s for General William Jenkins Worth, who served in the Seminole Wars and the Mexican War,[1], and for whom Fort Worth, Texas was named, as well as Worth Street in lower Manhattan.

   

 

 

brian delate, vietnam vet & actor (best known as the guard in the shawshank redemption & as jim carrey’s father in the Truman show) read shakespeare’s henry the V ‘band of brothers’ speech.

   

 

Filing off the stage for the wreath ceremony

   

 

 

 

I overheard the gentlemanly general say, “it’s an honor to escort you, ms. Shain” and she said, “no sir, the honor is mine.”

   

 

So that’s what the medal of honor looks like!

   

 

Ready to play taps after the 21 gun salute (that is really three shots in this kind of ceremony)

 

 

 

The flatiron during & after the ceremony

       

 

 

   

 

*Happy veteran’s day --- I hope everyone got to thank a vet today! *

 

 

 

Those boys are in High School?

Excellent photos and an impressive, appropriate ceremony. Thanks for posting that.

no rob....thank you!