75 Pace University student veterans and their families marched in support of Veterans Day at the annual America’s Parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan last Friday.

Thousands of members and supporters of the U.S Armed Forces, including World War II veteran Anton DietRich, 98, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Police Commissioner James O’nell came to celebrate their service and sacrifice.

The crowds roared as each military branch and group, like the Boy Scouts of America, made its way through the parade. Young children waved American flags. Many veterans, including the student veterans from Pace, were thanked for their services and shook hands with supporters behind the dividers.

“There’s a good veteran community [at Pace],” said Preston Rollins, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Pace graduate. “I flew on B-52 bombers and deployed to Guam and Iraq. [Coming home and becoming a student at Pace] was actually really good. Pace SVA is really good at helping vets through the process of funding and getting classes set up. I graduated in May and I’m now in web development.”

According to Military.com:

“This holiday started as a day to reflect upon the heroism of those who died in our country’s service, and was originally called Armistice Day. It fell on Nov. 11 because that is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. However, in 1954, the holiday was changed to ‘Veterans Day’ in order to account for all veterans in all wars.”

The president of Pace’s New York City Student Veteran’s Association (SVA) and U.S Marine Corps veteran, Bonita Rodriguez, organized the details of Pace’s participation in the parade.

“It’s a great organization. Although it’s an organization for student veterans we support other students that come into our community and I hope that everyone [at the parade] has a great time,” said Rodriguez.

According to the America’s Parade official website:

“America’s Parade is our country’s largest celebration of service. Produced by the United War Veterans Council, it carries on the traditions of the New York City Veterans Day Parade, offering the public the opportunity to show their support for those who serve on our nation’s most visible stage.”

The United War Veteran’s Council (UWVC) is an organization dedicated to veteran advocacy, services, and sustainability. For more information on the UWVC, visit http://uwvc.org or go to http://www.pace.edu/academics/undergraduate-students/current-students to learn about Pace University’s veteran services.