Knoxville’s 93rd annual Veterans Day Parade will be held in downtown on Friday, Nov. 9, to honor the service of U.S. military veterans, in particular those who served in Vietnam.

The parade of approximately 1,900 participants will line up in the eastbound lanes of Howard H. Baker Jr. Avenue, in front of the Knoxville Civic Auditorium, with a step-off time of 10:45 a.m. The parade advances to Church Avenue, turns right on Gay Street and continues through the 100 block.

This year’s Grand Marshal is U.S. Air Force Capt. Bill Robinson, who lives in Madisonville, Tenn. At seven-plus years, Robinson was the longest-held enlisted prisoner of war in American history. He served some of those years with the late Sen. John McCain. 

At 11 a.m., the parade will halt at the reviewing stand near Mast General Store and perform a brief ceremony for attending veterans, including the parade’s reviewing officer, Air Force Maj. Gen. Stephen A. Clark, who is an alumnus of the University of Tennessee. At this time, a Vietnam-era Huey helicopter will perform a flyover. 

“The sound of the Huey is synonymous with Vietnam,” said Marty Everett, American Legion Post 2 Parade Committee Chairman since 2006. “The Hueys were the workhorses of the war, the equivalent of Jeeps in World War II.” This year’s parade also includes three WW II-era British tanks. 

Led by the University of Tennessee Army ROTC Color Guard, the parade features eight marching bands from area high schools as well as a choir from the Christian Academy of Knoxville.  

American Legion organizes the parade with support from the City of Knoxville. The parade will be broadcast live on WATE Channel 6, WBIR Channel 10 and streamed on WBIR.com. WIVK FM radio personality Gunner will serve as the event’s emcee. 

Downtown drivers can anticipate the following road closures and temporary no-parking zones: At 9 a.m., Market Street between Union and Clinch avenues and Union between Walnut and Gay streets will close. There also will be some temporary no-parking zones along sections of Church Avenue, Gay Street, Wall Avenue, Market Street and Union Avenue. Parking is prohibited on Gay Street beginning at 9 a.m.; cars on the street prior to that time will be towed. Gay Street will close to traffic at 10:30 a.m.