NYC Veterans Day Parade Honors Heroes: Floats, Marchers & a Medal of Honor Recipient

NYC Veterans Day Parade Honors Heroes: Floats, Marchers & a Medal of Honor Recipient

Manhattan was awash in red, white, and blue on Monday as New York City celebrated the 105th annual Veterans Day Parade, honoring the nation's bravest.

The parade, considered the largest Veterans Day tribute in the nation, saw over 150 vehicles, 25 floats, and 20,000 participants march up Fifth Avenue from 26th Street to 47th Street.

The parade was preceded by an emotional Eternal Light Memorial in Madison Square Park, serving as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by our nation's heroes.

This year's event featured the Marine Corps., though organizers from the United War Veterans Council emphasized that every service branch was honored and acknowledged.

The parade's grand marshal was Dakota Meyer, a Medal of Honor recipient and Marine Corps. veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Meyer's bravery was recognized for his actions on September 8, 2009. While serving as a 21-year-old corporal, he defied orders and drove into a killing zone to rescue Afghan and US troops who had been pinned down by Taliban fighters. Meyer's valor extended beyond the rescue, as he also located the bodies of four missing men from his unit and helped move them to a safer area for extraction.

Meyer later received the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama in 2011. He described his actions, saying, "I wasn't really thinking I could die, it was just a matter of when. I never thought I was going to come out… [but] that's what Marines do."