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Baltimore salutes veterans, past and present, with annual downtown celebration

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1859″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeIn”][vc_column_text]The Maryland Defense Force band plays during a Veterans Day parade in Baltimore City, Nov. 11, to honor men and women retired and currently serving in the armed forces.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1500571230374{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”]Story and photots by Sgt. Crystal Hudson[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1500571237391{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]Veterans and their Families were honored for their military service during an annual parade held in downtown Baltimore, Nov. 12.

During the procession, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake led retired and currently serving veterans in a march from the Washington Monument to the War Memorial Plaza.

Members from all services and their Families came out to celebrate Veterans Day in downtown Baltimore.

“Veterans Day is a special day for all Americans,” said Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, who is also a U.S. Army Reserve veteran. “But I am particularly proud of the 30,000 active duty [service members] and 460,000 veterans who call Maryland home.”

Brown addressed the crowd on keeping the “sacred obligation” to veterans returning home from combat and stressed the importance of helping service members integrate back into their lives, Families and the community.

Alongside the many veterans in attendance, hundreds of high school cadets from around the city, in various Army and Air Force Junior ROTC programs, participated in the parade.

Darriaus Johnson, a sophomore at Northwestern High School and an Air Force JROTC cadet, expressed his pride for veterans’ sacrifices.

“It means a lot to me,” said Johnson. “The people that died, what they did [in service to their country] was a great thing.”

Johnson said he does not personally know any veterans and will be the first in his family to serve when he goes on to join the Air Force after high school.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake addresses a crowd of service members, veterans and their Families during the annual Veterans Day celebration.

Although many who gathered at the event were unknown to one another, the presence of insignia and patches evoked memories and provided a common bond.

“It is not a black or white issue,” said James Biss, a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 3rd Armored Division in Germany during the 1980s. “It is the people that you served with who you can trust in life.”

The parade-goers had been strangers until some of them recognized a unit crest and began to share their military experiences. Often, these conversations touched on the present value of those past contributions.

“If it wasn’t for the things that we did—whether it was peacetime or war—we wouldn’t have the things we have,” said Biss.

A similar sentiment of gratitude echoed in the crowd and throughout the words of the speeches.

“No matter where people live—Baghdad or Baltimore—mothers and fathers want the same things for their families,” said Brown. “…safe neighborhoods, decent schools, access to health care, and the opportunity to earn a living and raise a family. …Whether here or abroad, that’s what our veterans have fought for, a fair way of life for each of us as Americans and our neighbors around the world.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]