Phoenix names 2026 Veterans Day Parade grand marshals

Seven veterans from World War II through Afghanistan, plus Super Bowl XX champion Jim McMahon, will lead the 30th annual Phoenix Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11. The lineup spotlights military service across eight decades as the parade marks 30 years and moves to a new route in downtown Phoenix.

Why it matters: - Phoenix is using its 30th Veterans Day Parade to honor service members whose military experience stretches from World War II to Afghanistan. - The event also underscores the parade’s scale. Honoring America’s Veterans says the Phoenix parade is the largest Veterans Day parade in the Southwest and the fourth largest in the United States. - The parade is expected to draw tens of thousands of spectators.

What happened: - Honoring America’s Veterans named seven veteran grand marshals and one celebrity grand marshal for the 30th annual Phoenix Veterans Day Parade. - The parade is set for Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at 11 a.m. in Phoenix. - The route is new this year and will run on Third Street from McDowell to Indian School Road. - The parade theme is “250 Years of Freedom, 30 Years of Honor.” - Jim McMahon, a Scottsdale resident and Super Bowl XX champion, will serve as celebrity grand marshal.

The details: - Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Delmar DeWitt Beard, 100, of Glendale, will represent World War II service. - Beard was sworn into the Navy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, served aboard LST-715 during the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and saw the first flag-raising atop Mount Suribachi. - Beard later joined the Army in 1948 and retired in 1970 after 26 years of service across three wars. He earned the Bronze Star and remains active with the Iwo Jima Association of America. - Melvin Mitchell Smith, 93, of Mesa, will represent the Korean War. - Smith entered the Navy in 1951, served aboard the heavy cruiser USS Baltimore, spent nearly four years at sea or overseas and was part of the ship’s 1953 role in Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Naval Review. - Smith was honorably released in 1955 and is a longtime American Legion member, father of eight, grandfather of 17 and great-grandfather of 23. - Charles “Chuck” Byers of Gilbert will represent the Vietnam War. - Byers served as a senior combat medic with the 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, was wounded while treating soldiers under enemy fire on June 1, 1968, and received the Silver Star and Purple Heart. - Byers later worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and now serves on the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services Advisory Council to the Governor, chairs Vietnam Veterans of America Healthcare and entered the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame in 2018. - Retired Master Sgt. Palmer R. Miller III of Casa Grande will represent the Cold War. - Miller served 23 years in the Army in roles including military police investigator, drug enforcement team leader, personal security specialist and recruiter. - Miller co-created the Glenn E. Morrell Award of Excellence for Army Recruiting, became one of its first recipients and earned the Meritorious Service Medal. - In retirement, Miller helped found Honoring, Helping and Hiring Our Veterans of Pinal County, counseled veterans and led the Casa Grande Veterans Day Parade. - Joe Worthy of Phoenix will represent Operation Desert Storm. - Worthy was among the first waves of Marines to enter Kuwait and served amid smoke from burning oil fields. - His decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon and Kuwait Liberation Medal. - After a diagnosis of service-connected stage 4 metastatic colorectal cancer linked to toxic exposures, Worthy began educating veterans about health care benefits, cancer screening and preventive care. - Worthy serves on the Veteran Cancer Network board and mentors veteran entrepreneurs through Vertex Property sections. - Yeoman First Class Priscilla Velazquez of Buckeye will represent the post-9/11 era and Operation Enduring Freedom. - Velazquez served 20 years as a Navy yeoman, including aboard the destroyer tender USS Yellowstone, while raising her family. - She later earned a Master of Social Work from Arizona State University, worked with homeless veterans at the Phoenix VA and now owns Apoyo Support Center. - Velazquez also wrote The EEOC Workbook: From Confusion to Clarity. - Steve Langen of Chandler will represent Operation Enduring Freedom. - Langen served in the Marine Corps from 1986 to 1995 as a CH-53E helicopter mechanic and crew chief, with Western Pacific deployments, duty in Okinawa and service in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. - From 2009 to 2011, Langen served with U.S. Special Operations Command as an unmanned aircraft commander in Afghanistan. - After his son, Marine Crew Chief Alec Langen, was among five Marines killed in the 2024 Tiger 43 helicopter crash, Steve Langen founded Running 4 Alec to support families affected by military and public service aviation tragedies. - McMahon quarterbacked the 1985 Chicago Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX and later won a second ring with the 1996 Green Bay Packers. - McMahon’s 15-year NFL career included time with seven teams, including the Arizona Cardinals. - His honors include College Football Hall of Fame induction, NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year, Pro Bowl recognition and NFL Comeback Player of the Year. - Since retiring, McMahon has devoted time to thanking military service members.

Between the lines: - The grand marshal slate mixes wartime history, post-9/11 service and local advocacy work, giving the parade a broad generational arc. - Several honorees remain active in veteran support, suggesting the parade is meant to recognize both military service and continued community leadership. - The new route and anniversary theme point to an effort to refresh the event while keeping its longstanding patriotic framing.

What’s next: - Phoenix Veterans Day Parade organizers will stage the event on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. - Spectators will follow the new Third Street route through downtown Phoenix. - Honoring America’s Veterans is expected to continue promoting the parade as a major regional Veterans Day event.

The bottom line: - Phoenix is pairing a milestone parade with a marquee roster of veterans whose stories span 80 years of American military history.