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Photo by Jesse Chambers.
Riding high
Members of the Military Vehicles Club Dixie Division ride in the annual Veterans Day Parade in downtown Birmingham, Sat., Nov. 11, 2017.
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Photo by Jesse Chambers.
A solemn salute
Birmingham U.S. Army veteran Paul Ash offers this salute while watching the Veterans Day Parade downtown.
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Photo by Jesse Chambers.
Waving the flag
An attendee at the Veterans Day Parade watches the parade pass on Second Avenue and 20th Street North downtown.
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Photo by Jesse Chambers.
The Greatest Generation
World War II vets Therold Roberts, Thurman Ryan and Wayne McCullough ride a jeep in the Veterans Day Parade. The men served as grand marshals of the event.
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Photo by Jesse Chambers.
The steps of City Hall
Birmingham City Hall served as the site of the reviewing stand for the annual Veterans Day Parade.
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Photo by Jesse Chambers.
Lots of fire trucks
The Southern Vintage Fire Apparatus Association of Birmingham brought nearly a dozen vehicles to the city's Veterans Day Parade.
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Photo by Jesse Chambers.
Rolling through downtown
The members of Birmingham's Tragic City Rollers roller derby team took part in the Veterans Day Parade.
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Photo by Jesse Chambers.
Remembering Vietnam
A Vietnam veteran shows off a license tag while riding on a vehicle sponsored by the Birmingham chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America.
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Photo by Jesse Chambers.
Vets watch parade
Two Vietnam veterans watch the parade on 18th Street North downtown.
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Photo by Jesse Chambers.
Wearing her pride
Uncle Sam has nothing on this patriotic attendee at the Birmingham Veterans Day Parade.
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Photo by Jesse Chambers.
Marching with pride
Members of the ROTC from Wenonah High School pass The Lyric Theatre on 18th Street North downtown during the Veterans Day Parade.
The streets of downtown Birmingham were the site of the annual National Veterans Day Parade on a cool, sunny afternoon on Saturday, Nov. 11, part of what is billed as the largest celebration of the holiday in the United States.
Marching bands — including those from Ramsay, Huffman, Carver and Parker high schools — local ROTC units, veterans groups and numerous other businesses and nonprofits took part.
As usual, the parade also featured lots of interesting floats and vehicles, including military jeeps, trucks and armored personnel carriers; motorcycles; sports cars; and vintage fire trucks.
The parade began at 1:30 p.m. at 18th Street and Ninth Avenue North, headed south on 18th Street North, turned east on Second Avenue North, headed north on 22nd Street, turned west on Fifth Avenue North and then turned north on 19th Street, passing the reviewing stand in front of City Hall before ending at 19th Street and 10th Avenue North.
A sizable crowd turned out for the event, with attendees — some of whom arrived early to get a good spot — spread out along almost the entire route.
A 20-minute fireworks show at Vulcan Park and Museum was scheduled to end the day's events at 5:30 p.m.
Veterans Day itself — once called Armistice Day to celebrate the end of World War I — was started in Birmingham in 1947 by World War II veteran and area resident Raymond Weeks.
Veterans Day became a national holiday after President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill making the change in 1954.
Other events over the weekend included a Veterans Memorial Service at Cathedral Church of the Advent downtown on Saturday morning and the World Peace Luncheon, held at Sheraton Birmingham.