CHARLESTON, W.Va – People of all ages assembled in Charleston on Wednesday morning to recognize the veterans of the United States military.
With marching bands, ROTC groups, local leaders, and more in tow, the annual Charleston Veterans Day Parade stepped off in the Capital City’s streets.
“You make this community great. You are also the reason why we are celebrating on such a special day of our freedom, and thank you. Thank you to everything that you have given to us. We will never, ever forget it, and thank you, Charleston, for once again showing all of us who you really are,” said Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin.
Hosted annually by the John Brawley American Legion Post 20, the parade celebrated its 85th year in 2026. West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner addressed the crowd at a ceremony in downtown Charleston.
“Sometimes the greatest danger is simply that good people decide the fight is someone else’s responsibility. The men and women we honor today made a different choice. They chose to serve,” he said.
Warner hailed the heroism of those who stepped up to serve. He said the veterans in attendance made sure that American freedoms continued to carry on.
“You served to defend this country at home and to confront threats abroad. You stood between danger and the people you swore to protect, and in doing so, you helped ensure that the responsibility of defending our freedom did not fall to someone else alone,” he said.
Goodwin also pointed to an increasing number of young people participating in the day’s events. She said she loves to see those faces on days like these.
“This is what I noticed this year. More kids were on the parade route, and I talked to families who said, ‘You know what? It was such a special day and such a special time. I wanted to take my kids out of school because this is history,” she said