MILWAUKEE — With Veterans Day less than a week away, the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce started the celebration early in downtown Milwaukee with the 59th annual Veterans Day Parade.
Sam Bastian said she is thankful for those who have served and knows firsthand how it makes a difference. She makes it a point to come out to the parade every year because her dad was a World War II veteran.
“Having my dad there and celebrating patriotic things with him is just something really important that he really instilled in his kids,” Bastian said. “He had seven kids after the war and we like to come out to support the vets.”
The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies also brought their signature dance moves to the parade.
Jan Kwiatkowski said since many of the members have family in the military, they would not miss the event.
“[…] Anyway that we can honor them, we certainly want to be a part of that, so we weren’t going to miss this, and this is how we can bring some love, some joy, some connection to the community so it’s a lot of fun for us,” said Kwiatkowski.
Although it’s been a tough year for the group after losing three of their members in the Waukesha Christmas Parade in 2021, Kwiatkowski believes the sacrifices of those who served allow them to keep going.
“This is a very strong group, individually and as a group, and I think it’s important that we model that things happen. You figure it out,” Kwiatkowski said. “You get help for whatever you need. You keep going, you don’t quit.”
For Bastian, she hopes that the parade is a reminder that we are all in this together.
“Remembering that we are a community. We need to be kind,” Bastian said. “We need to be here for each other and we need to help each other.”
In addition to the parade, a Veterans Day Festival was also held at the Marcus Performing Arts Center.