Kansans will want to celebrate this Veterans Day in Leavenworth!

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that the Veterans Day National Committee has selected Leavenworth as a regional site for celebrating the holiday. The Committee is part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

This Veterans Day will mark the 103rd consecutive year for the Leavenworth County Veterans Day Parade. The parade was first held on November 11, 1919, the one-year anniversary of the armistice agreement of World War I between the Allies and Germany in France. The celebration is recognized as the largest parade west of the Mississippi River.

Retired U.S. Army Tech Sgt. Wilbur Grisham, who served in World War II, will serve as Grand Marshal of the parade. The theme is “Honoring Veterans for Defending Our Lives and Freedom During Wars or Disasters.”

“The Committee is very honored to once again receive designation as a Regional Site for Veterans Day by the US Department of Veterans Affairs,” Becky Johnson, Secretary of the Leavenworth County Veterans Day Parade Committee, said. “We would like to encourage Kansans from across our great state to join us in Leavenworth on Friday, November 11, 2022, at 10:30 am to help us honor and pay tribute to all U.S military veterans.”

“Kansas veterans, including my mom who served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, have made countless sacrifices to protect our country and keep us safe,” Representative Sharice Davids, (KS-03), said. “I am glad Kansans will be able to show their respect and gratitude for our service members, both past and present, in Leavenworth as it serves as a regional observance site this year.”

“Having marched in the parade in my youth, our community, indeed our state, has a long-standing tradition of recognizing the selfless service men and women of the Armed Forces,” Senator Jeff Pittman, Kansas State Senate District 5, said. “This tradition is kept alive in part due to the yearlong efforts of the local stakeholders who help coordinate the Veterans Day parade.”