Albany is marking its 70th annual Veterans Day Parade, bringing together more than 1,000 participants for a march through downtown meant to honor the men and women who served the country. The parade was set to kick off at 11 a.m. at the corner of Ontario Street and Central Avenue, then head east along Central and Washington avenues before ending near the New York State Education Building.
This year's march, as reported by WNYT.com, is the first organized by Capital City Veterans, a newly established nonprofit founded by Albany County District Attorney Lee Kindlon and his father, Terry. The route, detailed by albany.com, carries marchers past Washington Avenue and the State Capitol before they reach the review stand. Organizers expect more than a dozen divisions representing veterans' organizations, local law enforcement, marching bands and other community groups to take part.
A Grand Marshal With Vietnam-Era Service
This year's Grand Marshal is Louis C. Mion, a retired Air Force Senior Master Sergeant who served in Vietnam. According to the Patriot Guard Riders of New York, Mion served in Vietnam in 1967-1968. Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs was named Honorary Grand Marshal for the occasion.
The parade's timing is no accident. Its 11 a.m. start on November 11 marks the moment the armistice ending World War I took effect in 1918, a tradition the city has carried through seven decades of marches.
Father and Son Take the Reins
Lee Kindlon served in the U.S. Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserves as a colonel, while his father, Terry, also served in the Marine Corps. Both men previously served as Grand Marshals of the parade in 2019, and their new organization, established earlier this year, is now steering the event for the first time. The station's report notes that Capital City Veterans hopes to expand Albany's tradition of honoring veterans and its celebrations in future years, including organizing annual Veterans Day and Memorial Day parades going forward.
Beyond the march itself, the nonprofit hopes to eventually introduce additional community events, including a festival at Academy Park. A separate WNYT report on the organization's plans describes the group potentially hosting a larger festival there, with vendors, live music and recognition for Gold Star Mothers under consideration. Kindlon has said he hopes the effort will help highlight resources and services available to local veterans, per the same account, which notes he has emphasized connecting veterans with those resources while bringing the community together.
Thinning Crowds Prompt a Rethink
The push for a more robust organizing body comes as turnout for Albany's veteran commemorations has softened. A Times Union column reported that crowds at the city's Veterans Day parades have thinned in recent years, and noted that Albany's Memorial Day Parade was canceled last spring due to bad weather. That backdrop helps explain why Capital City Veterans has framed its mission around keeping the city's parades alive and growing.
Albany's event is one of several Veterans Day commemorations across the Capital Region today. Schenectady planned a Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans Park on Lafayette Street beginning at 10:30 a.m., while Troy's annual Veterans Day Memory Walk was set to begin at 9 a.m. at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Monument Square, according to Fly 92. An exhibit at Proctors featuring more than 180 photographs of local veterans was also scheduled to remain on display through the end of November, the outlet reported.
