JACKSONVILE, Fla. – A time to pay our respect to those who have served. Jacksonville will honor the men and women who serve America on Monday during the annual Veterans Day Parade.
Nearly 600 runners participated in the Salute to Veterans Run on Sunday morning, kicking off the Week of Valor. It’s all part of honoring our American heroes.
"We’re really proud to have served," Nancy Stickler, Captain and Nurse Corp. Navy retired, said. "We’ve been in Jacksonville off and on since 1972."
Stickler and her husband, Rich, are retired Navy.
"Jacksonville is a Navy town," Rich Strickler, Retired Navy Captain, said. "It’ll always be a Navy town."
The Strickler's were part of those who participated in the run, which benefits the Jacksonville Naval Museum and K9s For Warriors. It began with a unique start, by displaying the flags of all branches of the military services.
"My father was a World War II veteran and my brother was in the Marine Corps and it means a lot for us to come out on Veterans Day," Jeff Pozen, Air National Guard, said. "This is a very special day for us."
Pozen said he's been deployed overseas twice and his son, Michael, is in the Civil Air Patrol, a civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
"It’s amazing that you can go out and support them. They’ve sacrificed a lot," Pozen said.
If you plan to attend the Veterans Day Parade on Monday, this handy guide should help answer your questions:
What you'll see
Both veterans and active-duty military members will be honored during the Veterans Day Parade. More than 4,000 people are participating, including senior military officials, military units and veterans groups.
In addition, you'll see local high school marching bands and a plethora of decorative floats and some giant balloons!
Where to watch
The parade kicks off around 11 a.m. downtown along East Bay Street near the intersection of A. Philip Randolph Boulevard. The parade continues down Bay to Newnan Street, onto Independent Street and ends at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.
How to participate
You're encouraged to dress patriotically, so be sure to wear some red, white and blue, and bring along some banners, signs and American flags. You can watch from both sides of the street along the parade route.
Road closures
- Nov. 11: 6 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Gator Bowl Boulevard from A. Phillip Randolph Boulevard to Adams Street
- Nov. 11: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- East Bay Street from A. Phillip Randolph Boulevard to Newnan Street
- Newnan Street from East Bay Street to Independent Street
- Independent/Water streets from Newnan Street to Lee Street
- Lee Street from Water Street to Adams Street
- East Bay Street from Lee Street to the I-10 Entrance ramp on East Bay Street
- Liberty and Market streets will remain open to access and exit the Berkman Plaza and the Hyatt Regency Riverfront Hotel.
If you can't make it to the parade, News4Jax will have live coverage of the event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can watch on Channel 4, or you can stream it on News4Jax.com and the News4Jax app.