The City of Birmingham plans to continue a tradition that’s been around since 1947. Organizers say The Magic City held the very first Veterans Day parade seven years before the day became a national holiday in 1954. An estimated five thousand marchers will take part in today’s parade. Mark Ryan is president of the national Veterans Day Parade. He says there will be something extra along with the flags and bunting this year.
“It’s a job recruitment trailer that we're setting up in inside the parade staging area for veterans who can come by, who may be needing a job or maybe wanting to swap jobs, but they can come into the trailer, and there are kiosk inside the trailer,” he said.
Ryan admits he spends a lot of time dealing with people who confuse Veterans Day with Memorial Day. Veterans Day is intended to recognize everyone who served in the armed forces, while Memorial Day is reserved for those died during their military service, in a more solemn event. Ryan says his father served in his father was in the Navy in the Pacific in World War two.
“He shared one particular story when they were under attack and there was a kamikaze pilot coming at their ship, and he unfortunately had to shoot the plane down,” said Ryan. “And he, and this is a little bit graphic, I know, but he said he could still remember seeing the face of the pilot as he was going down.”
Organizers say about one hundred groups and floats have signed up to take part in the parade, with up to five thousand marchers. The entries bands, military units, veteran service organizations, and schools among other groups.
