Several Grand Marshals of the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade pose for a photo at the State Capitol
Seven veterans representing service from World War II through Afghanistan will be honored as the parade marks 30 years
PHOENIX, AZ, UNITED STATES, November 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Seven veterans whose service spans World War II to Afghanistan — including a 100-year-old sailor who entered the Navy on D-Day — will serve as veteran grand marshals of the 30th annual Phoenix Veterans Day Parade alongside celebrity grand marshal and two-time Super Bowl champion Jim McMahon.
Veteran grand marshals
World War II — U.S. Navy and U.S. Army: Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Delmar DeWitt Beard, Glendale.
Sworn into the Navy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, Beard served aboard LST-715 during the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and witnessed the first flag-raising atop Mount Suribachi. He joined the Army in 1948 and retired in 1970 as a command sergeant major after 26 years of service spanning three wars. The Bronze Star recipient, now 100, remains active with the Iwo Jima Association of America.
Korean War — U.S. Navy: Melvin Mitchell Smith, Mesa.
Smith entered the Navy in 1951 and served aboard the heavy cruiser USS Baltimore as an interior communications specialist and electrician apprentice. He spent nearly four years at sea or overseas. In 1953, his ship represented the United States at Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Naval Review. Honorably released in 1955, the 93-year-old is a longtime American Legion member, father of eight, grandfather of 17 and great-grandfather of 23.
Vietnam War — U.S. Army: Charles “Chuck” Byers, Gilbert.
A senior combat medic with the 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, Byers was wounded while treating soldiers under enemy fire in Vietnam on June 1, 1968, earning the Silver Star and Purple Heart. He later worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Today, he serves on the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services Advisory Council to the Governor, chairs Vietnam Veterans of America Healthcare and is a 2018 inductee into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame.
Cold War — U.S. Army: Retired Master Sgt. Palmer R. Miller III, Casa Grande. During 23 years in the Army, Miller served as a military police investigator, drug enforcement team leader, personal security specialist and recruiter. He 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, he helped found Honoring, Helping and Hiring Our Veterans of Pinal County, counseled veterans and led the Casa Grande Veterans Day Parade. He entered the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame in 2018.
Operation Desert Storm — U.S. Marine Corps: Joe Worthy, Phoenix. Worthy was among the first waves of Marines to enter Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm, serving amid smoke from burning oil fields. His decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon and Kuwait Liberation Medal. After he was diagnosed with service-connected stage 4 metastatic colorectal cancer linked to toxic exposures, he began educating veterans about health care benefits, cancer screening and preventive care. He serves on the Veteran Cancer Network board and mentors veteran entrepreneurs through Vertex Property sections.
Post-9/11 era/Operation Enduring Freedom — U.S. Navy: Yeoman First Class Priscilla Velazquez, Buckeye. 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 and worked with homeless veterans at the Phoenix VA. She now owns Apoyo Support Center, assisting clients with veterans’ benefits, social services, workers’ compensation and EEOC matters, and wrote The EEOC Workbook: From Confusion to Clarity.
Operation Enduring Freedom — U.S. Marine Corps: Steve Langen, Chandler. Langen served in the Marine Corps from 1986 to 1995 as a CH-53E helicopter mechanic and crew chief, completing Western Pacific deployments, duty in Okinawa and service in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. From 2009 to 2011, he served with the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) 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, he founded Running 4 Alec to support families affected by military and public service aviation tragedies.
Celebrity grand marshal
Super Bowl XX champion quarterback Jim McMahon, Scottsdale. McMahon, a College Football Hall of Famer, quarterbacked the 1985 Chicago Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX and won a second ring with the 1996 Green Bay Packers. During a 15-year NFL career with seven teams, including the Arizona Cardinals, he was named NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year, a Pro Bowler and NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Since retiring, he has devoted time to thanking the men and women who served.
Parade details
• When: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at 11 a.m.
• Route: New this year — Third Street, from McDowell to Indian School Road
• Theme: “250 Years of Freedom, 30 Years of Honor”
About Honoring America’s Veterans
Honoring America’s Veterans is a nonprofit organization serving military veterans and their families. Since 1997, its Phoenix Veterans Day Parade has grown into the largest Veterans Day parade in the Southwest and the fourth largest in the United States, drawing tens of thousands of spectators each year.
PAULA L. PEDENE
Honoring America's Veterans
+1 480-772-2934
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