Houston to host annual Veterans Day parade

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that the city of Houston will host a grand parade for Veterans Day on November 11. It’ll be his last one in the city’s highest office.

As part of the city’s annual “Houston Salutes American Heroes Veterans Day Celebration,” the American Heroes Parade is slated to begin at 11:30 a.m. at Dallas and Bagby in Downtown Houston, according to the city's website. The parade route will proceed eastward on Dallas, north on Louisiana, west on Walker, south on Smith, west on Lamar, ending on Lamar at Bagby. Local veterans organizations, Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTCs), Junior ROTCs, marching bands, and supporters will participate in the event.

The city stated that the parade is open to everyone and encouraged all to line the designated parade route.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) explains that the roots of Veterans Day date back to 1947 when an Alabama veteran who served in World War II named Raymond Weeks organized "National Veterans Day" to recognize all veterans. Later known as Armistice Day, it was not until 1954 when Congress approved and President Dwight Eisenhower signed into law a piece of legislation that rechristened the day as Veterans Day. For some time, Veterans Day was observed on the fourth Monday of Oct., but would later shift back to Nov. 11 through an act of Congress.