Wisconsin Veterans Day Parade honors service, sacrifice in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE - The 2023 Wisconsin Veterans Day Parade stepped off Saturday morning, Nov. 4 – showing support a week before Veterans Day.
People lined the downtown Milwaukee streets to thank, celebrate and salute those who've served.
"They are the heroes of this nation, they are why we have our freedoms," said Air Force Veteran Rick Murray, who served during the Vietnam War. "Losing all the people that fought for our freedom…the ones that made it back."
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Murray said, when veterans make that sacrifice, it's the families who should be thanked, too.
"I see what their families give up when they have to be deployed, and that kind of thing while the kids are growing up," he said.
2023 Wisconsin Veterans Day Parade
Brad Ohde and his wife, Vicky, are one of those families. Their son, Alex, was in the Navy and was one of many who marched Saturday alongside supporters – including the Dancing Grannies.
"Our son just got out of the Navy, he spent six years on a nuclear sub," Brad Ohde said. "He’ll never be able to tell us what he all did."
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The Ohdes said, while we might not know each of their stories, it is veterans' selflessness that can be honored.
"They did it quietly, and work was done," said Vicky Ohde.
2023 Wisconsin Veterans Day Parade
"My heart goes out to them," Murray said.
According to a 2022 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee study, the state is home to more than 331,000 veterans.
The parade stepped off at 11 a.m. – starting at 4th and Wisconsin Avenue. It proceeded east until it gets to Water Street, where the parade turned north. The Veterans Day Parade finished at the intersection of Water and Juneau Avenue.
Support for the Wisconsin Veterans Day Celebration comes from generous supporters and sponsors. All proceeds from the Wisconsin Veterans Day Parade cover costs associated with the parade planning, promotion, and execution, and remaining proceeds are donated to the Wisconsin Veterans Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to supporting service providers and community organizations addressing critical needs of Wisconsin veterans, service members, and their families.