NYC Veterans Day Parade Announces Grand Marshals Ahead Of Annual March Marking 250 Years Of Military Service

NYC VETERANS DAY PARADE ANNOUNCES GRAND MARSHALS AHEAD OF ANNUAL MARCH MARKING 250 YEARS OF U.S. MILITARY SERVICE

Former Army SSG and Medal of Honor Recipient Clinton Romesha, Marine Veteran and Homeless Veterans’ Advocate Stephen Peck, NASA Astronaut and Retired Navy Captain Sunita L. Williams to Serve as Grand Marshals for America’s Largest Salute to its Veterans

NYC Veterans Day Parade Will March Up Fifth Avenue on Tuesday, November 11

Editor’s note: We covered this Veteran’s Day event last year, which marches up Fifth Avenue.  Last year, there was also a Veteran’s Day ceremony at Sacred Heart School on Staten Island the same day.  There was also a Veterans Round Table hosted by Senator Gillibrand and State Senator Scarcella-Spanton. Senator Lanza also hosted the Vietnam Veterans Day ceremony last year.   See below for a slideshow of photos from the event provided by the event coordinators:

NEW YORK, NY – The United War Veterans Council (UWVC) today announced the Grand Marshals for the NYC Veterans Day Parade – the nation’s largest commemoration of service – which will march on Fifth Avenue in New York City on Tuesday, November 11. To mark the 250th Anniversaries of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Navy, former SSG and Medal of Honor recipient Clinton Romesha, Marine veteran and homeless veterans’ advocate Stephen Peck, and NASA Astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Captain Sunita “Suni” Williams will lead this year’s parade as Grand Marshals.

“The Grand Marshals for this year’s NYC Veterans Day Parade represent some of our nation’s most dedicated and most accomplished service members who have continued to serve their country and their fellow veterans well after leaving the military,” said Mark Otto, President and Executive Director of the United War Veterans Council and U.S. Marine Corps veteran. “As we get ready to mark 250 years of Army, Marine Corps, and Navy service, we are thrilled to have Clint, Stephen, and Suni lead this year’s Parade and join us for the nation’s largest commemoration of service in New York this November.”

“With more than a decade of Army service and another decade providing support to returning veterans, I have devoted myself to defending the nation, standing up for our rights and values, and uplifting men and women who serve,” said former Army Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, Medal of Honor recipient and spokesperson for American Warrior Partnership I am incredibly grateful to lead this year’s NYC Veterans Day Parade as a Grand Marshal, especially for the 250-year anniversary of the U.S. Army, and march alongside thousands of other brave servicemembers.”

“It is a tremendous honor to serve as a Grand Marshal for the NYC Veterans Day parade and take part in the long tradition of commemorating service, remembering the incredible debt we owe those who have served our nation, and appreciating the challenges many of them face long after service has ended,” said Stephen Peck, a former Marine Corps officer who served in the Vietnam War and now retired president and CEO of U.S.VETS, the largest nonprofit providing supportive housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. “I join my fellow honorees in expressing our gratitude and recognizing that the freedoms we enjoy today have come at a cost borne by those who have bravely defended this nation. In celebration of Veterans Day, let’s recommit ourselves to supporting veterans in tangible ways not just today but every day, whether through hiring veterans, giving to organizations that help veterans or simply saying ‘thank you for your service.'”

“I look forward to honoring the service and sacrifices of our brave veterans alongside my fellow Grand Marshals at this year’s Parade,” said Sunita L. Williams, NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy veteran. “I truly understand the sacrifices that veterans and their families make every day to protect our rights, freedoms, and way of life as Americans. I am grateful for the chance to help recognize their enormous contributions as one of this year’s Grand Marshals.”

Produced by the UWVC, the Parade includes nearly 300 marching and vehicle units and welcomes 20,000 participants from across America, representing every service branch of the military and every era since World War II. The parade was established in 1919 following the armistice agreement that was signed on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month in 2018, that ended hostilities during WWI.

This year’s Parade will mark the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War and the birth of America’s military. In particular, it will spotlight the 250th birthdays of the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S Navy. This special commemoration will feature three Grand Marshals, each representing one of these original service branches:

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Clinton L. Romesha poses for an official portrait as a Medal of Honor recipient at the Army portrait studio of the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Feb. 12, 2013. Romesha was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions while serving as a section leader with Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy at Combat Outpost Keating, Kamdesh district, Nuristan province, Afghanistan, on Oct. 3, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Monica King)

Clinton Romesha joined the US Army in September 1999, and he served in Kosovo and South Korea before requesting a transfer to Iraq, where he served as a Cavalry Scout in the US 61st Cavalry Regiment. In May 2009, his unit was deployed to Afghanistan, where he was assigned to Combat Outpost Keating in Nuristan Province on the Afghan-Pakistani border. On October 3, 2009, he was one of the leaders of COP Keating’s defense during the Battle of Kamdesh, leading the effort to recapture the base after the Taliban penetrated its defenses. Romesha left the Army on April 4, 2011 to spend more time with his family. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama on February 11, 2013, but, in December 2017, he returned his medal to the US 4th Infantry Division, saying that the medal was too big for him, and that there were others at Kamdesh more deserving of it than him.

Former SSG Romesha currently dedicates his efforts to veteran advocacy, public outreach, and improving the lives of service members and their families through his work with America’s Warrior Partnership (AWP). There, he helps advance their mission of preventing veteran suicide and enhancing community-based support for veterans. He serves as a spokesperson for PureTalk, promoting patriotic values and supporting veteran causes through veteran-focused campaigns. Clint continues to share his experiences from the Battle of Kamdesh, emphasizing resilience, leadership, and community integration to inspire both military and civilian audiences nationwide. He is a native of Lake City, California and currently lives in Minot, North Dakota.

Advertisement

Stephen Peck

Stephen Peck, who served with the Marines in Vietnam, recently retired after more than 28 years at U.S.VETS, a national leader in preventing and ending veteran homelessness. As its president and CEO for 14 of those years, he expanded U.S.VETS’ footprint across 45 residential and service sites in Southern California, Hawai’i, Arizona, Nevada, Texas and Washington, D.C., and championed the launch of homeless prevention programs focused on employment, mental health, suicide prevention, peer support, and female veterans.

Peck is a past president of the California Association of Veteran Service Agencies, a consortium of seven nonprofit veteran service providers working in partnership to address the needs of California’s veterans. He also serves on the board of directors of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, which leads federal advocacy work on behalf of veterans nationwide. He is the son of actor Gregory Peck and the father of actor Ethan Peck.

Sunita Williams

Sunita (Suni) L. Williams, a retired U.S. Navy Captain, was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998 and is a veteran of three space missions, Expeditions 14/15, 32/33 and 71/72. Suni was among the astronauts launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024, for its first crewed flight, arriving at the International Space Station on June 6. Following NASA’s decision to return Starliner uncrewed, she became an Expedition 71/72 crewmember and returned home in March 2025 on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Williams has completed 62 hours and 6 minutes of total spacewalk time over the course of her career, the most of any female astronaut, and fourth on NASA’s all-time list. Williams has logged 608 days in space over her three flights.

Williams received her commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy from the United States Naval Academy in May 1987. After a six-month temporary assignment at the Naval Coastal System Command, she received her designation as a Basic Diving Officer and then reported to Naval Aviation Training Command. She was designated a Naval Aviator in July 1989 and reported to Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 3 for initial H46, Seaknight, training. Upon completion of this training, she was assigned to Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 8 in Norfolk, Virginia, and made overseas deployments to the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf in support of Desert Shield and Operation Provide Comfort.  In September 1992, she was the Officer-in-Charge of an H-46 detachment sent to Miami, Florida for Hurricane Andrew Relief Operations onboard USS Sylvania.  Williams was selected for United States Naval Test Pilot School and began the course in January 1993. She has logged more than 3000 flight hours in over 30 different aircraft. A Needham, Massachusetts native, she is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and Florida Institute of Technology.

About the United War Veterans Council

The United War Veterans Council, Inc. is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that honors and serves veterans. The UWVC supports and promotes a wide range of initiatives that provide vital services to our veterans community (including health, wellness and education); raises positive awareness and increases public understanding of the needs of our veterans community through major public events and promotional activities; and brings together veterans groups, community organizations, government agencies, businesses of all sizes and the general public. For more information, visit uwvc.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Banner Image: US Navy Float marches in the parade.  Image Credit – NYC Veteran’s Day Parade