There’s an old saying: “Better late than never.” One could argue that this celebration is long overdue, but at least it’s coming now—Big Apple Mayor Eric Adams announced a fitting tribute to the warriors who have fought valiantly for our country in the post-9/11 years.

Dubbed the “Homecoming of Heroes” and slated for July 6, the parade down the “Canyon of Heroes” from the Battery to City Hall formally recognizes more than 2.9 million Americans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan following the September 11 terror attacks.

The ticker-tape parade, set to be the first of its kind in a major US city, will offer “a powerful opportunity to highlight the contributions that service members continue to make,” Mayor Eric Adams said during a fleet week event Thursday.

Adams, who has not always been in lockstep with the increasingly extremist Democrat party and who recently announced he would seek reelection as an independent rather than as a Dem, spoke eloquently about the meaning of the parade:

It would pay tribute to the extraordinary service, sacrifice and resilience of the post 9/11 combat veterans who did so much to protect our city and our nation in the wake of the deadliest attack on our homeland since Pearl Harbor.

Adams' remarks about patriotism and sacrifice were moving throughout his speech; his announcement about the parade occurs at the 22:45 mark:

Happy Fleet Week, NYC!

Join us LIVE at the People's House as we celebrate this great time in our city AND make a special announcement for our veterans and service members: https://t.co/OiOl4xMIxW

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) May 22, 2025

The NYC Department of Veterans' Services replied on social media:

Mark your calendars for July 6th, 2026 when we will all gather along the Canyon of Heroes to finally say, "Welcome Home."

The toll of all of these conflicts has been steep, and today—Memorial Day—is the opportunity to honor those who have fallen and pray for their families and loved ones.

And for those who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other hotspots around the world, a parade honoring them is one hundred percent deserved.

More than 7,000 American troops died in the wars and contingency operations, and another 53,436 were injured, according to New York City Department of Veterans’ Services James Hendon.

Another 31,177 veterans died by suicide, he said.

“We’re doing what we can to remember and never forget our people and their loved ones,” Hendon said.

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One of the most famous New York City celebrations occurred spontaneously when Japan surrendered to the United States in WWII:

President Truman warns that "proclamation of V-J day must wait" until formal surrender is signed, but huge crowds have gathered in New York's Times Square to celebrate Victory over Japan. pic.twitter.com/BCJywJwnIj

— Second World War tweets from 1941 (@RealTimeWWII) August 14, 2023

It brought us iconic photographs like this:

V-J Day in Times Square: As pedestrians watch, an American sailor passionately kisses a white-uniformed nurse in Times Square to celebrate the long awaited-victory over Japan on August 14, 1945.#History #WWII pic.twitter.com/o2puHPOKr4

— World War II History (@WW2Facts) August 14, 2024

Adams:

“This will be more than just a parade," [the mayor] said Thursday. “It will serve as a symbol of belonging, of closure and of collective pride.

“It will be a sign that our veterans and their families matter to us – not just during the wartime they fight, but in the peacetime they help achieve.

“It marks a small seed of our gratitude and our commitment to them: the seed that allows us all to water the tree of liberty so that we can sit under its shade.”

Well said, Mr. Mayor. As I wrote Sunday:

On this Memorial Day weekend, we honor all the fallen who have sacrificed for our country. [It] reminds us that there are enemies of freedom out there, and if and when the time comes, they must be defeated.

God bless our troops.

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