When the New York City Veterans Day Parade steps off Nov. 11, retired Navy Capt. Sunita “Suni” Williams is set to lead it as grand marshal—a role she was unable to fill in person last year. The parade begins at 12:30 p.m. from Fifth Avenue at 26th Street; Veterans Day falls on a Wednesday this year.
The United War Veterans Council named Williams to the role, according to ABC7 New York. Williams flew on several space missions during her NASA career. She called the appointment “incredible” and said she would march with fellow veterans, the station reported.
A Timely Tie to the Navy's Anniversary
The council’s announcement came on the U.S. Navy’s 251st anniversary, a timing noted in ABC7’s report. Mark Otto, the United War Veterans Council’s president and executive director and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, said: “Her dedication and service embody the values we honor each Veterans Day,” according to the station.
Organizers are framing the parade around the 250th birthday of the United States. Otto said the council was proud to welcome Williams as grand marshal in this milestone year. She had also been named among the 2025 parade’s grand marshals, but the government shutdown kept her from attending in person, ABC7 reported.
What to Expect on Parade Day
The United War Veterans Council’s parade page lists the route as beginning at Fifth Avenue and 26th Street, a starting point used in prior years. The page still lists the grand marshal as to be announced, despite the reported announcement of Williams’s appointment; the discrepancy had not been resolved as of publication.
Williams is no stranger to the honor. She was previously named among the 2025 parade's grand marshals alongside Clinton Romesha and Stephen Peck, according to an earlier ABC7 New York report, before the shutdown kept her from marching. Channel 7 is listed as a partner of the parade.
Veteran and parade figures
Approximately 122,700 veterans lived in New York City in 2024, based on the American Community Survey, according to the Office of the New York City Comptroller. That citywide total does not specify how many were women or what share of the city’s veterans they represented. CBS New York reported that about 20,000 people marched in Manhattan’s 2025 parade. That figure describes marchers last year, not this year’s event, and the cited report does not give a spectator total.
