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Our Story

24 Years of parade history

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The Gulf Coast Veterans Parade shares a long, rich history with local residents and the business community.

Learn more about our legacy by exploring the timeline below and a Special Tribute Section highlighted by the Hall of Fame history of Grand Marshals.

1999

In late 1999, Mary Ellen Landry contacted Donna Leach Yates and
Lt. Col. (ret) Dick E. Wilson with a proposed plan to form a committee to organize an annual Veterans Parade to be held on the Mississippi Gulf Coast on or near the observance of National Veterans Day.

The three met with the executive director of the Biloxi Chamber of Commerce
and the beginning of Mississippi’s first Annual Veterans Parade was born.

The Parade would be held on the closest Saturday to the November 11th Veterans
Day federal observance honoring military veterans. The date was set on a
Saturday to provide an opportunity for school age children to learn civic pride,
participate and attend the parade, as well as promote business for downtown
merchants and store owners.

Ms. Landry and Yates were elected by the committee to serve as co-chairs for the first Veterans Parade. The Mississippi Gulf Coast towns of Biloxi and Gulfport both agreed to host the parade on alternating years.

2000

In 2000, it was determined that the City of Gulfport was the best prepared at the time to host the first Veterans Parade on Saturday, November 11, 2000. The committee chose Vietnam Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Major General James E Livingston, (Ret.), United States Marine Corps as the first Veterans Parade Grand Marshal. The theme for the 2000 Parade paid tribute to the Silver Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

2002

In 2002, the parade board and committee members continued to draw interest and support. The 3rd Annual Veterans Parade was held in the City of Biloxi in tribute to the Silver Star Medal for Valor Recipients. Lieutenant General Clark Griffith, (Ret.), United States Air Force former 2nd Air Force Commander, at Keesler Air Force Base served as the Parade Grand Marshal. Sadly, prior to the 2002 parade, the first parade president, Colonel Kirby Bernich passed.

Maj. Gen. James Garner, (Ret.) former Mississippi Adjutant General and parade board member was elected as the new President of the Veterans Parade. Lt. Colonel Dick Wilson was elected Vice-President and Ms. Donna Yates was employed as the Executive Director.

2003

The 4th Annual Veterans Parade was held again in Biloxi on Saturday, November 8, 2003, in honor of the nation’s recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross. Also, there was a tribute to the men and women of our Nation’s Armed Forces who were deployed on foreign soil.

The Honorable Jeremiah “Jerry” O’Keefe, Sr., former Marine Corps Ace Fighter Pilot in World War II and former Mayor of Biloxi, served as the Parade Grand Marshal. Mr. O’Keefe was also the recipient of the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Maj. Gen. James Garner continued to serve as Board President.

2021

In 2020 we celebrated the military medical corps and first responders. The focus was on the contributions made thru history in saving lives and serving all our veterans and active duty. The Grand Marshal is AF Lt Col-Retired Dr. Inez Kelleher. Dr. Kelleher is an orthopedic surgeon and has served on the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1996. She is a U.S. Air Force Veteran, Gold Star family member and has deployed to Afghanistan and Diego Garcia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

2022

In 2022 we celebrated the Anniversaries of both the US Air Force and Navy Seabees. Unfortunately, on the eve of the parade, weather forecaster predicted 100% rain for the day across the county and changes of lightning and thunderstorms. To ensure the safety of the public, and the over 1000 participants, the parade was cancelled.

AF Col-Ret John "Hoss" Ladner and Navy Chief Chrisopher Levesque were Co-Grand Marchals.

John "Hoss" Ladner is a master navigator with more than 4000 flight hours in seven different aircraft, primarily B-52 and B1 Bomber. He has over 700 combat hours and 178 combat missions in Desert Storm.

Christopher R. Levesque is FORCM at the Seabee Navy Construction Group. His deployments include Rota, Spain; Ramadi, Iraq, Djibouti, and Camp Leatherneck Afghanistan.

2023

As a result of the 2022 cancellation of the parade, AF Col Ret "Hoss" Ladner was honored to be able to participate in this years parade as Grand Marshal. Unfortunately, Force Master Chief Levesque had other long planned personal family obligation

A Tribute

We honor and remember those

who have given selflessly with exceptional

service to our organization.

Visit Our Grand Marshals Hall of Fame

Tribute Section

The 2026 Gulf Coast Veterans Parade will be held on Saturday, November 7th in D'Iberville, MS. Registration Open Soon CONGRATS TO TERRY HS JROTC 'PARADE RIGHT OF LINE" AWARD WINNERS Click here for the parade flyer. Click here for the parade route.