NYC Veterans Day Parade Celebrates 250th Anniversary of U.S. Military

Over 20,000 Service Members March Up Fifth Avenue in Nation’s Largest Veterans Day Event

New York City Hosts Nation’s Largest Veterans Day Parade

More than 20,000 service members marched up Fifth Avenue in New York City’s annual Veterans Day Parade, the nation’s largest celebration honoring those who served in the U.S. military. The 2025 parade marked the 250th anniversary of the U.S. military by celebrating the birth of its three senior service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, and Navy–institutions whose history reflects both service and sacrifice alongside America’s complex relationship with militarism and imperialism.

While Veterans Day appropriately honors individual service members’ sacrifices and their families’ support, progressive perspectives recognize the importance of distinguishing between supporting veterans and uncritically celebrating military institutions. Organizations like Veterans for Peace advocate for honoring service while working toward a world where military service becomes unnecessary through pursuit of peaceful conflict resolution and diplomatic solutions.

Medal of Honor Recipient Clinton Romesha Serves as Grand Marshal

Former Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, a Medal of Honor recipient, served as one of the parade’s Grand Marshals representing the Army. Romesha’s recognition for valor reflects the genuine courage and dedication many service members demonstrate. However, progressive veterans’ organizations emphasize that true honor for veterans requires not just ceremonial recognition but substantive support: comprehensive healthcare including mental health services, housing assistance, educational opportunities, and employment support.

According to the Veterans for American Ideals project, many veterans face challenges accessing adequate VA healthcare, dealing with service-related trauma, securing stable housing, and transitioning to civilian employment. Parades and ceremonies, while meaningful, cannot substitute for robust systems ensuring all veterans receive the support their service earned.

Supporting Veterans Through Policy, Not Just Pageantry

Research from the Costs of War Project at Brown University documents how military service often leads to physical injuries, psychological trauma, and difficulty reintegrating into civilian life. Honoring veterans authentically requires funding VA healthcare, addressing veteran homelessness, providing educational benefits, and ensuring employment protections–investments that face ongoing political battles despite broad rhetorical support for veterans.

Marine Veteran Stephen Peck Advocates for Homeless Veterans

Marine veteran and homeless veterans’ advocate Stephen Peck served as another Grand Marshal, highlighting the serious issue of veteran homelessness. Despite serving their country, thousands of veterans experience homelessness due to inadequate support systems, untreated mental health conditions, and barriers to housing and employment. Peck’s advocacy work addresses the shameful reality that the nation fails many veterans after their service ends.

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans reports that while veteran homelessness has declined in recent years, approximately 35,000 veterans still experience homelessness on any given night. This ongoing crisis reflects broader failures in social safety nets and healthcare systems that leave vulnerable populations without adequate support–a problem affecting veterans and civilians alike.

Housing First Approaches for Veteran Homelessness

Evidence-based approaches to veteran homelessness emphasize “housing first” models that provide stable housing as a foundation for addressing other challenges like mental health treatment, substance use recovery, and employment. Organizations like the National Alliance to End Homelessness have documented the effectiveness of such approaches, which require sustained funding and political commitment to housing as a human right.

NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams Honors Naval Service

Retired U.S. Navy Captain and NASA astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams served as Grand Marshal representing the Navy. Williams’ career demonstrates how military service can lead to extraordinary opportunities, including space exploration. Her achievements also highlight the importance of ensuring all service members–regardless of gender, race, or background–have equal opportunities to advance and contribute.

Progressive military reform advocates argue for institutions that truly reflect democratic values through inclusive policies, accountability for misconduct, and cultures that respect all service members. Organizations like the Protect Our Defenders work to address ongoing challenges including sexual assault and harassment in the military, which disproportionately affect women and LGBTQ service members.

Military Service and Space Exploration Intersections

The connection between military service and space exploration programs raises important questions about how scientific advancement relates to militarism. While space exploration has produced technological benefits and expanded human knowledge, much of it emerged from military-industrial complex investments. Progressive advocates argue for prioritizing civilian space programs and ensuring space remains a domain for peaceful exploration rather than militarization.

Balancing Veteran Appreciation with Anti-War Advocacy

Veterans Day presents an opportunity to reflect on how society can honor individuals who served while questioning the wars and military interventions that placed them in harm’s way. Many veterans themselves advocate for more cautious use of military force and diplomatic solutions to international conflicts. The Common Dreams organization has documented how veteran-led peace movements combine service experience with anti-war activism.

This dual perspective–supporting veterans while advocating for peace–resolves the apparent contradiction between honoring service and opposing militarism. Veterans deserve comprehensive support precisely because they bore the costs of policy decisions made by civilian leaders. True honor means both caring for those who served and working to ensure future generations don’t face unnecessary wars.

NYC’s Diverse Military Veterans Community

New York City’s veteran population reflects the city’s broader diversity, including veterans from various racial, ethnic, religious, and gender identity backgrounds. This diversity challenges stereotypical images of military service and highlights how communities of color have served at high rates despite facing discrimination both within the military and in civilian society. The Civilians in Defense of Democracy project has studied how military service intersects with racial justice and civil rights movements.

Honoring this diversity means addressing specific challenges faced by different veteran communities: veterans of color facing discrimination, women veterans accessing healthcare designed primarily for men, LGBTQ veterans who served under discriminatory policies, and immigrant veterans facing deportation despite their service. Comprehensive veteran support requires recognizing these distinct experiences and needs.

Immigrant Veterans and Citizenship Issues

Some veterans who served the United States honorably face deportation or citizenship challenges, a particularly egregious injustice. Organizations like the ACLU have advocated for policies ensuring veterans who served receive citizenship and protection from deportation. Military service by non-citizens deserves recognition and reciprocal commitment from the nation they defended.

Military Spending and Veterans Services Priorities

A persistent irony in U.S. policy is the disconnect between massive military spending–the Pentagon budget exceeds $800 billion annually–and inadequate funding for veteran services. Political leaders often champion military expansion while resisting investments in VA healthcare, veteran housing programs, and mental health services. The National Priorities Project documents this disparity, showing how redirecting even small portions of military spending could fully fund veteran services while supporting broader social programs.

Veterans Day Tradition and Historical Context

Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I on November 11, 1918. The holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all American veterans. This history reminds us that the holiday emerged from a conflict that killed millions and reshaped global politics–a sobering context for reflecting on war’s costs and the importance of pursuing peace. New York’s parade tradition dating to 1919 represents one of the nation’s oldest continuous veterans commemorations.

Understanding this historical context encourages reflection on how military conflicts shape societies and why preventing wars serves both national interests and human wellbeing. Progressive advocates argue that truly honoring veterans includes learning from history’s wars to avoid repeating unnecessary conflicts.

What True Support for Veterans Requires

Beyond parades and ceremonies, supporting veterans demands concrete policy commitments: fully funding VA healthcare including mental health services, addressing veteran homelessness through housing programs, providing educational and employment support, ensuring disability benefits reach all eligible veterans, and holding the VA accountable for service quality. These investments represent authentic appreciation for veterans’ service rather than symbolic gestures.

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has indicated commitment to supporting veterans through city programs and services, recognizing that municipal governments play important roles in veteran support alongside federal programs. As New York transitions to new leadership, maintaining and expanding veteran services should remain a priority that transcends political divisions–representing shared obligation to those who served.