Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams was honored as the Grand Marshal of New York’s 107th annual Veterans Day Parade, leading a massive procession of around 20,000 participants along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue on Wednesday.
A retired U.S. Navy captain, Williams described the role as “an incredible honour,” reflecting on how her military career “shaped who I am and prepared me for every challenge that followed.”
“I’m proud to join New Yorkers and Americans from around the country in honoring the service, sacrifice, and commitment of veterans from every generation,” she said.
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The parade, produced each year by the the United War Veterans Council (UWVC), features participants from every service branch of the military and includes thousands of veterans, military members, service organizations, and youth cadets, as well as marching bands, floats, motorcycles, and vintage vehicles.
The parade was first held in 1919 to commemorate the armistice that had ended World War I, one year earlier – at exactly the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
Williams was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998 and flew on three long-duration space missions: Expeditions 14/15, 32/33, and 71/72. Williams has logged 608 days in space and completed 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalk time, fourth on NASA’s all-time list.
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In June 2024, she launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for its first crewed mission to the International Space Station. After NASA’s decision to return Starliner uncrewed, she continued serving as a member of Expeditions 71/72 and returned to Earth in March 2025 aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s Crew-9 mission.
Commissioned as a U.S. Navy officer in 1987, she became a Naval Aviator in 1989 and later graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. Williams served in multiple operational, test, and leadership aviation roles, logging more than 4,000 flight hours in over 40 aircraft.
She has received numerous military and NASA awards, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and the prestigious Michael Collins Award and the Dr. Wernher von Braun Space Flight Trophy, as well as Padma Bhushan, India’s second highest civilian award.