Arizona's Silent Service Memorial.
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Perch Base
Phoenix Veterans
Day Parade
Sixteen Perch Base members and guests took the USS Phoenix float to the Annual Phoenix Veterans
Day Parade presented by the non-profit Honoring America’s Veterans (HAV) on November 11th, 2026.
Tens of thousands of spectators turned out to watch military units, marching bands, high school essay winners,
JROTC groups, and veteran organizations.
The Celebrity Grand Marshal was Super Bowl XX champion quarterback Jim McMahon, and the Veterans Grand Marshal
was 100-year-old U.S. Navy World War II veteran Delmar DeWitt Beard of Glendale.
It was an honoring experience that many of the other parade floats were business and community groups supporting
veterans, but when groups like us with actual veterans on board passed by, the crowds lining the parade route really let out
cheers and clapping!
We met at 8 AM to stage the float at the Firestone Complete Auto Care at 241 W Osborn Rd. Thanks to Firestone for
letting us use your store lot (and bathroom!) and then rode the float to the parade starting point.
True to the military theme of "Hurry up and wait!" we arrived at the parade starting point at
9:23 AM, but the parade did not start until 11 AM and as entry number 58 (of 87) we finally started to roll at 12:22 PM.
This year’s parade theme was
"250 Years of Freedom, 30 Years of Honor."
Click on any thumbnail for a larger picture.
Perch Base members met at the Firestone Complete Auto Care at 241 W Osborn Rd. Thanks to Firestone
for letting us use your store lot (and bathroom!) and then rode the float to the parade starting point.
(l-r:) COB Kirby Anderson, Event Coordinator CC Clarke, & Vice Base Commander Don Robertson.
(l-r:) Event Coordinator CC Clarke, & Base Commander David Heighway.
(l-r:) ?guest?, Randy Pirkle, & Base Commander David Heighway.
(l-r:) Membership Chair Paul Miller, Bob Gilmore, Base Commander David Heighway & ASSM President Joe Trotter.
(l-r:) ?guest?, ?guest?, ?guest? & Past Base Commander George Woods.
Continued staging at the parade starting point.
COB Kirby Anderson performing Field Day prior to rolling.
Group photo: (l-r:) David Heighway, Paul Miller, Kirby Anderson, Don Robertson, Wyatt Sisk, George Woods, Randy Pirkle, Joe Trotter, Governor Joy, & Dan Marks.
A flyover as the parade started.
An additional flyover as the parade started.
An additional flyover as the parade started.
Perch Base members & guests waiting in the "People Trailer" before we rolled.
Getting close to the parade starting point!
And we're finally on the parade route!
We were well received by the parade watchers all along the route!
We were well received by the parade watchers all along the route!
Governor Joy and Bob Gilmore (not shown in this photo) walked the parade route! Attaboy to Governor & Bob!
We were well received by the parade watchers all along the route!
We were well received by the parade watchers all along the route!
We were well received by the parade watchers all along the route!
We were well received by the parade watchers all along the route!
Some kids along the route were passing out Thank You cards to the Veterans.
Each picture was colored by the kids, as in this example, and each had a message inside the card,
such as "You are a Hero" and "Thank You for all you do!"
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