The city of San Diego recognized the USS Midway Museum and the San Diego Veterans Day Parade committee for its effort of continuing the tradition of hosting the West Coast’s largest celebration saluting America’s military veterans.
Midway took the reins of the parade in 2023 after a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19 and the pandemic’s impact on participating units. The museum formed a coalition of representatives from the city and country, active-duty military commands and veteran support organizations to reestablish the veterans tribute parade along San Diego’s bayfront.
“All San Diegans have always been proud of our veterans and active-duty military personnel that help make San Diego Americas finest City,” said Nicole Murray Ramirez, a member of the San Diego Human Relations Commission. “We salute the Midway organization for their leadership and dedication for making sure that our city has an annual parade saluting and honoring our veterans. It is the commission’s sincere privilege and honor to present the Midway with the Keith Thurnman Veterans Leadership Award.”
San Diego County boasts one of the largest veteran populations in the United States with more than 200,000 former and retired military members living and working in the county. The annual parade features more than 80 participants comprised of a variety of bands, floats, ceremonial vehicles and marching units from veterans’ organizations, military commands, local businesses, and community service and civic groups. Each year, past military heroes are honored in the parade.
“It is truly an honor for Midway and the parade to be recognized by the city of San Diego’s Human Relations Commission,” said David Koontz, Midway’s marketing director and the chair of the parade. “San Diego has a long and proud military heritage, and many active-duty personnel decide to stay in Southern California after leaving the military. It’s important, especially in a Navy and Marine Corps town like ours, that the service and sacrifice of America’s military veterans are remembered and honored.”
The San Diego Veterans Day Parade began in 1987 and continues to be the largest parade on the West Coast that salutes military veterans.
“This parade is important because San Diego is a military town,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who also marched in the parade as the lead grand marshal each year. “We are America’s Finest City because of the contributions of service members and military families. I look forward to this parade every single year because it gets better every single year. The participation of the Midway has been a game changer in elevating the status of the parade.”
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