Inside the National Veterans Parade: A Conversation with Founder Fran Ventura | MPACOMVC

How did a chance meeting with a 103-year-old World War I veteran become America's National Veterans Parade? Francis "Fran" Ventura, co-founder of the parade with his wife, Diane, joined the MOAA Public Affairs and Communication Professional Virtual Chapter (MPACOMVC) on 10/15/26 to tell the story. In this conversation, Fran covers: The parade's start, from a question asked at the 2001 New York City Veterans Day Parade to its first march down Constitution Avenue in 2023 How it has grown from 63 units to an expected 150 or more in 2026, including active-duty units from every branch, veteran service organizations, marching bands, and JROTC This year's Grand Marshal, author and Marine Corps Vietnam veteran Robert Kiyosaki The new 5K race on the parade route Media coverage, including FOX NFL Sunday's 2025 pregame broadcast from the parade How the parade is funded and run without federal money, and how veterans and organizations can march or volunteer for free 📍 National Veterans Parade Sunday, November 8, 2026 Constitution Avenue, Washington, DC The 5K starts at 8:00 AM and the parade steps off at noon. To march, volunteer, or get press credentials, write to [info@nationalveteransparade.org](mailto:info@nationalveteransparade.org). The speaker's views are his own and do not represent MOAA or the chapter. #VeteransParade #MOAA #Veterans #WashingtonDC #NationalVeteransParade