For the second year, participants in the Brooklyn Veterans Appreciation Day Parade proudly marched down Eastern Parkway on Saturday.
The parade, organized by the Veterans Action Group Buffalo Soldiers of America, Inc. (VAGBSA) celebrates the borough's military veterans. It grew in size this year because of the efforts of Christopher James, the president of VAGBSA, who made a concerted effort to spread the word to last year's participants and beyond, according to Taylor Barbuto, who helped organize the parade.
This helped to make Saturday's parade, which started on Rogers Avenue and ended at the Brooklyn Public Library's Central Branch, twice the size when compared to last year. Parade participants included additional marching bands like the 10th Mountain Division Band from Fort Drum and the NYPD Police Band.
The parade also saw repeat participants, such as a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps from Tottenville High School, the Brooklyn United Marching Band and the Federation of Black Cowboys, who again rode horses in honor of the Buffalo Soldiers, a historic group of Black servicemen. Of the eight grand marshals, nearly half were returning from last year.
Officers from nearby military bases were invited to march as grand marshals, including Mjr. Gen. Kris Belanger and Commanding Sergeant Mjr Corey Thompson, both of the 99th Readiness Division, located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lyndhurst, N.J.
Aside from honoring veterans, the organizers this year also promoted community connections to help veterans transition to civilian life, particularly for part-time military personnel. The parade concluded at the Central Library with a resource fair.
"The transition is so important," said Belanger. "So many vets don't know about full-time civilian opportunities. This is a tremendous opportunity to meet with other community leaders to help them after they serve."
Although those in the military would say, that once a soldier always a soldier, full-time military personnel serve for life, whereas part-time soldiers retire after almost a decade. Employment can be an issue, but those who took part in Saturday's parade wanted to spread the word that many job skills obtained in the military can easily be marketable in civilian life. These include leadership, logistics, mobilization, mechanics and people skills.
"Every civilian occupation you can find it in the Armed Forces," said Colonel Jenn Hicks McGowan, the executive director of Ramapo College of New Jersey's People Operations Employee Resources, who served in the army for 25 years. "A lot of people don't realize that."
Meanwhile, parade organizers were pleased with the bigger turnout.
"A lot of participants saw how big it is," Barbuto said. "They're more receptive and they'll likely return next year."
Enjoy a video of the parade!
