BIRMINGHAM -- The nation's longest-running Veterans Day parade, billed as the patriotic procession, will return to the streets on Thursday. It was halted for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Due to COVID-19 safety precautions the National Veterans Day Parade has been reduced to an online event in 2020. It will run through downtown Birmingham in a traditional format, which includes ROTC groups, military units, veterans organizations, high schools bands, and lots of waving flags.
Mark Ryan, President of the National Veterans Day Foundation which organizes the event, stated that "our plan is to have as ordinary of a parade as we can."
There are more than 100 participants, a drop of 20 from previous years. The weather forecast is not great, with rain likely to increase at the time the parade starts. Ryan stated that organizers expect tens to thousands of people to attend.
He stated, "Our goal is show our veterans how special they are to me, not only individually, but collectively."
Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston, a native of Alabama, will serve as grand marshal. Ryan stated that Maj. of Army Michael A. Grinston from Alabama will be the grand marshal.
Mobile saw thousands turn out despite the overcast skies. Huntsville's parade was delayed due to possible storms.
Birmingham isn’t the only place that celebrates veterans. Leavenworth County in Kansas dates its celebrations back to 1918, the year that World War I was over. This is nearly 30 years prior to the establishment of the Birmingham event. Emporia, Kansas has been acknowledged as having the first Veterans Day celebration in 1953.
The Veterans Administration cites Birmingham as having been the first to use "Veterans Day", after World War II veteran Raymond Weeks created "National Veterans Day" on September 2, 1947. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved legislation that changed the federal holiday from Armistice Day Veterans Day.
Ryan stated that the parade is held every year and that organizers thought about cancelling it last year due to public health safety. Instead, they decided to create a virtual event which included salutes and video from past parades, and was watched by thousands online.
Ryan said, "Smarter minds than mine came to me and convinced us we had one."
Wednesday night's dinner honored those who were part of the response to COVID-19. This has resulted in more than 755,000 deaths in the United States. It is more than the 673,687 U.S. military personnel who died in combat or other causes in both the world wars, Korea and Vietnam as well as the two Gulf wars, and the global attack on terror which followed September 11, 2001.
COVID-19 was eradicated by service members who helped clean nursing homes, set up testing stations and administered vaccines. Ryan said, "We are honoring all of their,"
