THE AMERICAN VETERANS CENTER PRESENTS THE 2018 NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY PARADE

Washington, D.C., May 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today the American Veterans Center announced that the 14th annual National Memorial Day Parade will take place on Monday, May 28th, at 2pm ET along Constitution Avenue in our nation’s capital.  The parade will be televised on local network affiliates across the U.S. and broadcast live to our troops serving overseas on the American Forces Network. Hosted by Sage Steele (ESPN), Bob Woodruff (ABC News), and Dean Cain, and featuring a live performance from Trace Adkins, the broadcast will reach over 100 million households worldwide. 

Additionally, hundreds of thousands of Americans will line the National Mall to pay tribute to those who have served and sacrificed for our country, including veterans and active duty military personnel, historical re-enactors, marching bands, musical performers, and celebrity supporters of our troops. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day when it originated in the years following the Civil War. The parade will pay special tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American pilots in U.S. military history, in recognition of the 75th anniversary of their first deployment which took place in 1943, amid World War II. Several surviving Tuskegee Airmen will attend the parade. The parade will also commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI.

“The National Memorial Day Parade is a great opportunity, especially in today’s contentious climate, for Americans to take a moment away from our differences and disagreements, and unite around the remembrance of brave men and women who sacrificed everything to ensure our freedom,” said Tim Holbert, Senior Vice President of American Veterans Center. “The parade, which is a moving timeline of America’s military history, honors those who have served to protect our country, especially our fallen heroes, from the American Revolution to today. Now in its 14th year, the parade is a staple for the holiday and is the largest Memorial Day parade in the country.”

This year’s Grand Marshals are Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos (Army National Guard veteran), and Spencer Stone (U.S. Air Force veteran), the heroes who stopped the terrorist attack on the French train in 2015 and who recently portrayed themselves in Clint Eastwood’s The 15:17 to Paris. Honorary Grand Marshal is famed actor and veterans’ advocate Gary Sinise. Also joining the parade are Tony-winning actor Joe Mantegna, Miss America 2018 Cara Mund, and celebrity chef & U.K. Royal Navy veteran Robert Irvine, with musical performances by Trace Adkins, Jerrod Niemann, and Cassidy Daniels.

More about the parade
The National Memorial Day Parade will commence at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, NW. It will proceed west down Constitution Avenue, ending just past The White House and the National World War II Memorial at 17th Street. Participants will pass by the nation’s monuments, memorials, and museums, and will be greeted by hundreds of thousands of spectators waving flags and cheering for our country’s heroes.

The parade is produced by the American Veterans Center, with support from American Airlines, Leidos, Wells Fargo, The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes, United States World War One Centennial Commission, Saab North America, Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, Military Times and many other generous sponsors.  To learn more about attending the National Memorial Day Parade, or tuning in to the television broadcast, visit: NationalMemorialDayParade.com. 

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About the American Veterans Center: The American Veterans Center (AVC) and its subsidiary, the World War II Veterans Committee, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational foundation dedicated to guarding the legacy and honoring the sacrifice of our military personnel from every generation. The National Memorial Day Parade is held annually in Washington D.C. For more information, visit AmericanVeteransCenter.org or NationalMemorialDayParade.com.