National Veterans Day Parade brings crowds, festivities to Birmingham

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.