New York City is planning a big ol’ ticker-tape parade up the Canyon of Heroes to thank and honor post-9/11 servicemembers and their families. Mayor Eric Adams is all set to announce this shindig to commemorate the service and sacrifice of military members who fought in Afghanistan, Iraq, and helped kick some Al Qaeda and Isis-linked terrorists overseas.
The parade, set to go down on July 6, 2026, will be named “Homecoming of Heroes: A Ticker Tape Parade Honoring Our Post-9/11 Combat Veterans and Their Families.” Adams is gonna spill the beans about this event later today to show some love to those who served in “America’s longest war.” Sounds like it’s gonna be a real tearjerker.
“The ‘Homecoming of Heroes’ parade isn’t just a party – it’s a major moment where a big city like ours comes together to solemnly honor the extraordinary service, sacrifice, and resilience of our post-9/11 combat veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Adams. “It’s all thanks to these brave men and women that we can enjoy the sweet taste of freedom.”
The Global War on Terror kicked off after the tragic events of 9/11. Almost 2 million servicemembers did their time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over 7,000 didn’t make it back, 53,000 got banged up, and more than 31,000 post-9/11 vets lost their battle to suicide, according to the city’s Department of Veterans Services. Many others are dealing with PTSD, and some are fighting cancer due to toxic exposure. Tough break, huh?
As American troops said bye-bye to Afghanistan in Aug. 2021, 13 U.S. servicemembers bit the dust in the “Abbey Gate” terrorist attack. U.S. troops also said peace out to Iraq in Dec. 2011. That war cost nearly 4,500 Americans their lives and more than 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives too. It’s a real tragedy.
Now, Adams is getting ready to break the news about the 2026 parade as he’s currently not the favorite in the race for re-election. Gulf War Veterans got their own ticker tape parade back in 1991. The city also threw a party for Vietnam vets in May 1985, ten years after that war wrapped up. Seems like parades are the way to go when it comes to showing our appreciation.
The parade is gonna line up perfectly with the International Naval Review 250 where fleets from all over the world will be in New York Harbor from July 3-8, 2026 to celebrate the “freedom of the seas”. It’s gonna be a real hootenanny. So mark your calendars!
Alrighty, now that you’ve got the scoop on this big parade coming up, make sure to show some love to those post-9/11 heroes and their families. They deserve all the recognition in the world. Let’s make this parade one for the books!
