The US President Donald Trump put aside partisanship to honor the service and sacrifice of the nation’s veterans, participating in the centennial New York City Veterans Day Parade Monday.
“Today we come together as one nation to salute the veterans of the United States Armed Forces, the greatest warriors to ever walk the face of the earth. Our veterans risked everything for us, now it is our duty to serve and protect them,” he said during remarks, calling US veterans “America’s greatest living heroes.”
The parade is a “non-partisan, non-political event, and may not be used as a platform for any other purpose or political agenda,” according to the event’s website. New York Mayor and former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Bill de Blasio was seated in the front row as Trump spoke, briefly recognizing and thanking him. However, there were audible protests as the President spoke, chants of “traitor” and “lock him up” heard as Trump spoke in Madison Square Park.
Joined by first lady Melania Trump, the President participated in a moment of silence and wreath laying in addition to his remarks at the opening ceremony.
Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans, that is, persons who have served in the United States Armed Forces (and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable). It coincides with other holidays including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day which are celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. At the urging of major U.S. veteran organizations, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
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