Monday, May 28, marked the 150th anniversary of the Memorial Day holiday, when all of us pause to remember and honor the dedication and sacrifice of the men and women of the U.S. armed forces to defend our way of life. The nation’s largest single event on the holiday is the National Memorial Day Parade down Constitution Avenue NW in Washington D.C., now entering its 14th year.
View Jeff Malet’s photos of the National Memorial Day Parade by clicking on the photo icons below.
Caleb John Powers Young Marines (Fredericksburg Va.) assemble for the parade. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Retired Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt Slabinski recently received the military’s highest honor for his March 2002 “daring assault” amid ongoing enemy fire. (photo by Jeff Malet)
U.S. Army Marching Unit. Photo by Jeff Malet
Dane W. Coffman (Leesville S.C.) as General of the Armies John J. Pershing at the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission Float. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive float commemorates the famous photo from VE Day. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Dalhart H.S. Marching Band, Dalhart, Texas (photo by Jeff Malet)
Kristan and Savanna of the Searcy H.S. Marching Lion Band, Searcy, Ark. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Members of the Beirut Veterans of America: Big U, Jiggets and Dave Seelye (photo by Jeff Malet)
Tampa Rough Riders on their way to the parade. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Notre Dame High School (West Haven, Conn.) (photo by Jeff Malet)
Lindsay Gutierrez: Ms Veteran America 2017 on the Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors (TAPS) float (photo by Jeff Malet)
Dalhart H.S. Marching Band, Dalhart, Texas (photo by Jeff Malet)
Fife and Drums of York Town Virginia (photo by Jeff Malet)
George Washington rides for the Mt Vernon Historical Site. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Madison H.S. Marching Dodgers, Madison, N.J. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Blue Ridge H.S. Marching Knights, Farmer City, Ill. (photo by Jeff Malet)
General Andrew Jackson commemorates veterans of the War of 1812 (photo by Jeff Malet)
(photo by Jeff Malet)
Searcy H.S. Marching Lion Band, Searcy, Ark. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Searcy H.S. Marching Lion Band, Searcy, Ark. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Whitney Lester appears as Abraham Lincoln (photo by Jeff Malet)
U.S. Marine Corps Marching Unit (photo by Jeff Malet)
U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard (photo by Jeff Malet)
U.S. Air Force Marching Unit (photo by Jeff Malet)
Civil War Reenactors (photo by Jeff Malet)
Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Paul F. Zukunft (photo by Jeff Malet)
Singer Jerrod Niemann (photo by Jeff Malet)
Coventry H.S. Patriot Marching Band, Coventry, Conn. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Leo Lombardo (age 9 months) enjoys his first Memorial Day Parade (photo by Jeff Malet)
Doughboy rides the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission Float (photo by Jeff Malet)
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Byrne, The U.S. Army Band, plays Taps (photo by Jeff Malet)
Staff Sgt. Chris Rettig, vocalist with The U.S. Army Band sings “Amazing Grace” (photo by Jeff Malet)
Harper Longhorn Band, Harper, Texas (photo by Jeff Malet)
(photo by Jeff Malet)
Peters Township Mighty Indians Marching Band, McMurray, Pa. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Peters Township Mighty Indians Marching Band, McMurray, Pa. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Connecticut-Copperthite Pie Company’s 1914 Model T Pie Truck (photo by Jeff Malet)
Hagerstown Lions Club (photo by Jeff Malet)
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps (AAC), a precursor of the U.S. Air Force. (photo by Jeff Malet)
John F. Kennedy Marching Band and Color Guard, Sacramento, Calif. (photo by Jeff Malet)
John F. Kennedy Marching Band and Color Guard, Sacramento, Calif. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldstein with Lt. Col. Kimberly Frady, Prince William Composite Squadron’s Deputy Commander of Cadets (photo by Jeff Malet)
Col. Frank Cohn (ret.) and other WWII Vets ride the Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive float (photo by Jeff Malet)
Pioneer Valley H.S. Panther Pride Marching Band, Santa Maria, Calif. (photo by Jeff Malet)
World War II reenactor (photo by Jeff Malet)
North Platte H.S. Bulldog Marching Band, North Platte, Neb. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Korean War Veterans (photo by Jeff Malet)
Korean War Veterans Association float (photo by Jeff Malet)
Korean War Veterans Association (photo by Jeff Malet)
Veteran Jim Hooker, Special Forces (Vietnam) (photo by Jeff Malet)Float
Republic of Vietnam Veterans Associations Coalition (photo by Jeff Malet)
Liberty-Eylau H.S. Band Program, Texarkana, Texas (photo by Jeff Malet)
Palmview H.S. Mariachi & Folkloric Program, Mission, Texas (photo by Jeff Malet)
Olathe Northwest Raven Pride Marching Band, Olathe, Kan. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Operation Desert Storm (photo by Jeff Malet)
Scotland County Marching Tigers Band, Memphis, Mo. (photo by Jeff Malet)
The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps (photo by Jeff Malet)
One of several antique car groups (photo by Jeff Malet)
Maiya (photo by Jeff Malet)
Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Bill Moran and Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldstein (photo by Jeff Malet)
Singer Jerrod Niemann fist bumps Major Shawn Baldy after his perfomance (photo by Jeff Malet)
Navy Club Ship 166 (Lancaster, Pa. ) and its crew. Photo by Jeff Malet.
John F. Kennedy Marching Band and Color Guard, Sacramento, Calif. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive (photo by Jeff Malet)
Kelly H.S. Marching Band, Chicago, Ill. (photo by Jeff Malet)