The 77th Sustainment Brigade marches in the NYC Veterans Day Parade

News: The 77th Sustainment Brigade marches in the NYC Veterans Day Parade

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Story by Staff Sgt. Chantell Black Subscribe To This Journalist

Staff Sgt. Chantell Black

Col. Joyce Junior and Command Sgt. Maj. Sammy Sablan, commander and sergeant major of the 77th Sustainment Brigade from Fort Dix, NJ, leads their unit in the NYC Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11, 2012. More than 300 troops from the brigade marched in the parade in front of thousands of spectators along Fifth Avenue that stretched 30 blocks, starting on 26th Street.

NEW YORK CITY- Following weeks of back-to-back devastating storms in the Northeast, the sun came out and warmed up the streets of New York while thousands of servicemembers marched with pride. On Nov. 11, the 93rd annual New York City Veterans Day parade welcomed thousands of onlookers and supporters while military units of all five branches and veteran organizations walked up Fifth Avenue. One of the units participating in the parade was the 77th Sustainment Brigade out of Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Leading the 77th’s troops were the unit’s commander and sergeant major, Col. Joyce Junior and Command Sgt. Maj. Sammy Sablan.

“It was actually requested by the New York Veterans Affairs that works for the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs,” Sablan said about how his brigade became involved in the parade. “We were requested to march the parade because the 77th as everyone knows is ‘New York’s Own’ and we represent the Liberty patch and New York City.”

Also in the parade were bands from the United States Coast Guard and the United States Military Academy; members of the United Service Organizations, JROTC high school students and veterans representing wars of yesterday and today including World War II, Vietnam, Desert Storm and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Before the 77th could march on the red carpet stage of the parade, a banner marked “United States Army” was held in front of the unit by two spectators, coincidentally with a personal attachment to the military of their own, Justin Botts and his wife Abby of Dover, Delaware who were visiting the city for the weekend.

“They said they needed some folks to walk in the parade but they didn’t say what we will be doing,” Botts said. “They handed us this Army banner and it was just an honor to walk in front of the Army the whole way.” Botts, who is a major in the U.S Air Force Reserves said he didn’t feel conflicted holding a banner for an opposing branch. “Not in any way shape or form. I was as proud as I’ve been in a long time. It was great.”

While most of the 325 troops who marched in the 77th formation just had to worry about not stepping on the foot of the person in front of them, a select few had greater responsibilities. Members of the unit’s Color Guard marched the 30 blocks holding the U.S., Army Reserve and command unit’s insignia flag and M-16 rifles. Spc. Christine Hoyt of Westampton, NJ, who held one of the rifles had been deployed to Iraq last year and was honored to participate in a parade of this capacity.

“It reminds me that all my fellow brothers and sisters in arms do everything we can and we’re honored to be able to do stuff like this and people actually care and it’s nice to get that payback, even though you don’t need it.”

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