Transcript: New York City to Host "Homecoming Of Heroes," First Major-City Ticker Tape Parade Honoring Post-9/11 Combat Veterans and Their Families

May 22, 2025

Commissioner James Hendon, Department of Veteran Services: Been doing this for years, y'all. And I got to say, the rain can't stop this. Is that right? The rain can't stop this. Yeah. Got more folks than ever before in this room, and it's, despite the weather... Good morning.  

Good morning. Welcome to the 2025 New York City Fleet Week kickoff breakfast. As was mentioned, my name is James Hendon. I serve as commissioner for the New York City Department of Veteran Services, or DVS. I want to start by thanking the Color Guard, thanking the National Anthem singer and the pianist for their presentation of the colors and rendering of the National Anthem.  

We need to give a round to our Color Guard. Let's call them out. [Erica Evans, Aiden Benoit, Kyle Christopher Beltran, Jennifer Jean-Philippe Brumaire, Lacey Medina,] and then that singer. She sounded good, didn't she? Yeah. Cherie Devine, along with the pianist Caleb Dinger. Want to also recognize U.S. Navy Chaplain Lieutenant Eliud Omwange for opening our house spiritually with a prayer this morning. Let's give all of them a round, please. Come on. Yeah.  

Now, where were we? Happy Fleet Week. Yeah. Want to give honors and salutations to our distinguished guests, starting with our Gold Star families, that is, those here who have lost a loved one, specifically a family member in combat services. Give them, the family members, a round of applause, please, to our Gold Stars.  

Next, we'd like to recognize our elected officials. Want to call out from the New York City Council, we've got here representing District 6, Manhattan, Borough President Emeritus for the Borough of Manhattan, and a military spouse, her husband Cal, served in, during Vietnam, Marine Corps veteran, Gale Brewer. Y'all, Gale Brewer, please. Yeah. Also, we want to acknowledge from the 30th District out in Queens, Chairman of the Council's Committee on Veterans and son of a World War II veteran. Also, his father was in the Army. Honorable Robert Holden, everybody. Let's call out for Robert Holden, for Chairman Holden.  

And as for our appointed officials, I want to acknowledge our deputy mayor for Health and Human Services for the City of New York, Deputy Mayor Suzanne Miles-Gustav. She's a military spouse also, her husband, Army. Let's give a round for Deputy Mayor Suzanne. Now, next, key military leaders who are here from our Sea Services, want to call them out by name. 

Our highest-ranking official, the 79th Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable John Phelan, and I got to acknowledge the secretary's wife, Amy, who's with us. Secretary and his wife, they have a daughter, an adult daughter, who lives here. Also, secretary was quick to tell me, you know, he lived here for 25 years in New York City, so we're going to claim him. He's a New Yorker by association, y'all. Please give a round for—he's one of our own. Give a round for the Secretary of the Navy.  

Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Admiral Daryl Caudle. Yeah. We want to acknowledge Admiral Caudle’s wife, who's here, Donna. Also, let's give a round for the admiral and his wife. Commander of U.S. Marine Forces Command, Lieutenant General Roberta L. Shea. Commander of the First Coast Guard District, Rear Admiral Michael Platt. Commander of the Navy's Mid-Atlantic Region, Rear Admiral Carl Lahti. Commander of Coast Guard Sector New York, Captain John [Andrzejczyk.] Commander of the First Marine Corps District, Colonel David Nickel.  

And then to the vessels represented here right now, the ships and their crews. I'll call out the commanders, but acknowledging all the ships and crews here. Commander of the USS New York, Captain Justin Issler. Commander of the USS Oak Hill, Commander Matuwo Olufokunbi. Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard, Cutter Calhoun. Captain Matthew Hammond.  

And on the Canadian side, Commander of the Canadian Navy's HMCS, or His Majesty's Canadian ship, Frédérick Rolette. Yeah, excuse me. Commander Jolene Lisi. Also like to acknowledge both local and visiting military commands. Anyone who we did not mention, please give them a round. There's so much military in this room. I want to call everybody out. We didn't even say your name. Any names we didn't mention, you know, charge it to our heads and not our hearts. And once again, let's give one more round to our military leadership, our sea service leadership, and everyone, y'all.  

Please, we thank you for what you do. Next, I want to acknowledge our New York City Veterans Advisory Board and its members who are here calling out its leadership. Mercedes Elias, Board Chairman, U.S. Marine Corps. Ryan Graham, Board Vice Chairman, U.S. Air Force. And I also want to acknowledge with a round of applause all veteran community supporters, benefactors, and allies who are with us as well. Thank you to the representatives of our veteran military service organizations. You serve our servants. You watch the watchmen. We give you eternal thanks. Let's give a round, y'all. Everyone who helps our service members.  

Last but not least, you know, the team at DVS, Department of Veteran Services, and the Mayor's Office of Special Projects and Community Events. Trey Moynihan, Executive Director for MOSPCE. Also, all parties worked hard behind the scenes to produce this morning's breakfast. Anyone here from MOSPCE or DVS, please raise your hand. Anyone in that group. Let's give them a round. Yeah. And from DVS, I want to give a special shout out to some key members of our team who organized today's event. Nicole Orlando, Director of Transition Services. Chuck Rivera, press secretary. Cassandra Alvarez, chief of staff. These folks and the entire team at DVS, they got it done. So I just want to acknowledge DVS.  

Now, we've acknowledged those who are here. Now it is critical to pay homage to those who are not here. As you enter the room, you may have noticed a special table. It is reserved to honor our missing men and women, our brothers and sisters. We remember them. We remember their families.  

The empty chair represents Americans who were or are missing from the U.S. Armed Forces, all with us in spirit. The table is round to show our everlasting concern. The cloth is white, symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to serve. The single red rose reminds us of the lives of these Americans and their loved ones and friends who keep the faith while seeking answers. The yellow ribbon symbolizes our continued uncertainty, hope for their return and determination to account for them and bring them home. A slice of lemon reminds us of their bitter fate captured and missing in a foreign land. A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears of our missing and their families who long for answers after decades of uncertainty. When the tears dry, salt is what's left. The lighted candle reflects our hope for their return, living or dead. The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain us and those lost from our country founded as one nation under God. The glass is inverted. It symbolizes their inability to share a toast. The chair is empty. They are missing. Let us have a moment of silence.  

Now, to those who have it, please raise your water glass in a toast to honor America's POWs, MIAs and others unaccounted for, to the success of our efforts to account for them and to the safety of all now serving our country. Hear, hear. You know, I just want to say of the more than 81,000 U.S. military service members who are missing and unaccounted for, World War and Terror, 1,573, Vietnam War, 7,500, Korean War, 73,000 from World War II, most are World War II service members who were presumed lost at sea. I just want to say that.  

Now, with that, ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to our distinguished guest representing our sea services, the 79th Secretary of the Navy and once again, a New Yorker. We're going to claim him, y'all. He's a New Yorker. The Honorable John Phelan. 

Secretary John Phelan, The United States Navy: Well, that's going to be a tough act to follow, so I'll try to do my best. Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and the great New Yorkers, good morning. Commissioner Hendon, thank you for that very kind introduction.  

It's an honor to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the 79th secretary of the Navy. It's a privilege to join you for the 37th annual Fleet Week New York. A special thank you to Mayor Adams and the people of this great city for once again opening your doors to our men and women in uniform. I spent 25 years of my career in New York City, so coming back always feels like a homecoming to me.  

Now, I also, my chief of staff reminded me I've paid more taxes here in 25 years than I have in my life. Not interested in paying more, but it is a great city and I miss it terribly. There's no better place to celebrate Fleet Week and this important bond between service members and the American public than right here in New York.  

Last night and this morning, I was aboard the USS New York, a ship forged from seven and a half tons of steel, recovered from the World Trade Center. It's in the bow of the boat. A reminder of the sacrifice and courage that define the city and the strength that lives on in every sailor marine who serves aboard her. Her motto is strength forged through sacrifice, never forget. And when you walk that ship, you see reminders of 9/11 everywhere. And I unfortunately was in the city that day. We were actually on the phone with Cantor Fitzgerald that morning. It's something that still makes my blood boil and makes me very angry. And the resilience and power of this city really came through. And that same spirit and resilience is what Fleet Week is all about.  

This week is also a crucial reminder that our sailors, marines, Coast Guardsmen and their families never serve alone. They serve with the strength and support of the American public behind them. This year is especially meaningful as it marks 250 years since the founding of our United States Navy and Marine Corps. Since the birth of our nation, our sailors and marines have selflessly answered the call to service.  

Today, as we face a more contested and hostile maritime environment than we've seen in decades, our sea services stand ready to respond. Every day, our Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard deter aggression, defend our values and protect freedom of navigation wherever they sail. As we look to the next 250 years, one thing remains certain.  

America's maritime strength and our future will be defined by those who serve. To our sailors, marines and Coast Guardsmen here with us this morning, thank you for your dedication and commitment. I hope that amidst the ship tours and busy Fleet Week schedule, you have the opportunity to enjoy some well-earned liberty ashore. New York, I think, just came off of a seven-month deployment, so that's a pretty long deployment.  

To the people of New York, thank you again for embracing our service members and making them feel at home in your city. I encourage every New Yorker to come out this week, meet our sailors, marines and Coast Guardsmen, hear their stories, ask them why they serve. See for yourself what it means to be part of the world's greatest maritime force. And if anyone here today wants to enlist, please see me immediately after these remarks. I will take it. May God bless our servicemen and women, and may God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much. 

Commissioner Hendon: Let's give it up again for the secretary of the Navy, y'all. Come on. Now, it is my pleasure to introduce the 110th mayor of the City of New York, New York Police Department Captain Retired, New York State Senator Emeritus and former chair of the Senate's Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, and Brooklyn Borough President Emeritus, mayor of the City of New York, ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Eric Leroy Adams. 

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Thank you so much, commissioner. The commissioner brings his A game all the time. And I want to thank my elected officials who realize how important it is to come out and acknowledge our veterans, who allow us to sit under the tree of freedom that you water with your blood, commitment and dedication.  

Of course, my colleague, Gale Brewer, the councilwoman of District 6, Frank Morano, New York City Council District 51, and Robert Holden, Council District 30. I thank all of them for joining us today.  

I thought it was extremely significant as the commissioner, Commissioner Hendon, talked about the table that sits to my left and your right and the symbolism of it. I said it over and over again as the mayor of the City of New York. It's not only substantive issues that I must deal with as public safety, educating our children, building housing, but it's also the symbolism.  

Symbols are important. And we know that as a country, when you look at everything from the uniforms you wear to our currency, every item on there is well thought out and it represents a symbol and it is crucial that leaders know the importance of symbolism and the actions that come from symbolism.  

And yesterday, two innocent Americans were attacked and murdered yesterday in Washington, D.C., while they were going on with their lives. And that action was a way to instill fear in us. And not only was it a physical gesture, but it was a symbolic gesture to make us afraid, to make us scared, to make us move and believe as though we're not safe in our own homeland.  

We saw that on a larger scale when Pearl Harbor was attacked, and then we saw it again on September 11, 2001, when our center of trade was attacked. And we watched buildings that were the symbol of the strength of New York collapse right before our eyes.  

That's why days like Memorial Day, they are crucial, because we must send a symbolic but substantive gesture to the men and women who fight to defend our country that we recognize you. We are pleased and happy of your commitment that you have made the imperative and important decision to defend what we believe is important.  

I say it over and over again every day when I wake up. I push back on those who have lost their level of patriotism, because patriotism is not belonging to any individual party. It belongs to one party, the American Party. And I'm a member of that party. And when I break my fast and wake up in the morning, I stay true to that by saying that Pledge of Allegiance. Those are not just mere words on a piece of paper. It is the symbol of what we stand for. And probably the most significant part of it is that pledge is to the flag. And that flag, we pledge to.  

And you do not care who's the mayor. You do not care who's the governor. You do not care who's the senator or congressman or who's the president. You go out and carry out that duty. And I think that's the highest level of commitment anyone could have when you respect not only the office in itself, but the flag that it stands for. And I will continue to do that.  

I believe that the rocket red glare of bombs bursting in the air gave proof through the night that our flag is still there. And our flag will continue to be here. It doesn't matter what those bombs are. If it's the bombs of terrorism, it's the bombs of COVID. If it's the bombs of economic instability, of depressions. If it's the bombs of anything, when you look up, that flag is still there. And that flag is there because of you.  

You ensure that flag is still there. And that is something that we are committed to. And the 210,000 veterans living in our city, 210,000 veterans living in our city, as a society and as an administration, we're going to continue to serve them. Not only when they are on active duty, but when they return home.  

So this week, we kick off Veterans and Service Members Week, announcing a series of strategic initiatives to give our veterans better access to job opportunities, affordable housing and home ownership. Because if you could wear the uniform to defend our country, you could wear the uniform and employment to exist and to have prosperity in our country when you come home.  

Supporting our service members also means celebrating, uplifting this community. That began yesterday with Fleet Week, as a time to highlight the courage and commitment of our sea services. To remember the history and heritage of the people who protects us in the battleships they used to do it. And it includes Memorial Day, when our country honors the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. And as I stand in front of the 250 of you who have served and defended our way of life, I want to thank you.  

I'm proud to make an announcement today during Military Appreciation Month and Veterans and Service Members Week. On [Monday,] July 6th, we will be having a ticker tape parade to give our post 9/11 veterans the homecoming they deserve here in the city of New York. It would pay tribute to the extraordinary service, sacrifice and resilience of the post 9/11 combat veterans who did so much to protect our city and our nation in the wake of the deadliest attack on our homeland since Pearl Harbor.  

They did more than serve, they lifted us up. When we saw them, we regained our pride and our commitment and dedication. We often focus on September 11, 2001, when we saw the collapse of our center of trade. But we also should remember September 12th, we got up and we showed who we are as Americans. Our resiliency, our non-committal to ever surrender to anyone that believes we're going to live in fear. We are Americans and we are proud of that.  

We're calling the parade the homecoming of heroes. And it will be the first of its kind in a major city in the nation. It will formally recognize the more than 2.9 million Americans who bravely served during the global war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. Offering a powerful opportunity to highlight the contributions of service members continues to make every field in every borough safe.  

But this will be more than just a parade. It will serve as a symbol of belonging, of closure and of collective pride. It will be a sign that our veterans and their families matter to us. Not just during the wartime they fight, but in the peacetime they help achieve. It marks a small seed of our gratitude and our commitment to them. The seed that allows us all to water the tree of liberty so that we can sit under its shade.  

It will be a moment of reflection across the city and country as our hearts are filled with appreciation of the millions of Americans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it is because of these brave men and women that we can cherish the most precious gift we have, our freedom.  

One of the men I think about every day as I start my day is my 19-year-old uncle, Uncle Joe. My uncle died a 19-year-old serving his country in Vietnam. He did not debate or dispute. He did not care about what was the rights or wrongs. All he knew is that this was his country and when his country called him to serve he did just that.  

It seems to be in a contrast nowadays where so many young people are believing or embracing the radicalization that this is not the greatest country on the globe. It is. And I want to be clear when I tell you, no one lines the borders of this country to leave. They line the borders to come in. This is the greatest country on the globe.  

His name– when he served he did not ask for anything in return. His name and the names of his unit aren't just letters on the gravestones. They are lives we remember and treasure. They are stories we retell. They are the reason we can enjoy the beauty and the bounty of our nation and the memory of Uncle Joe still stays alive because to me he will always be a hero like the countless number of men and women who we have lost and the men and women who are in this room. 

The city reveals itself not only by the people it produces but also by the people it honors and the people it remembers. Our fallen soldiers gave their last measure of devotion defending the American dream. We can call New York the greatest city on the globe because we honor and remember them every day.  

So I thank you. I thank our veterans. I thank this important week for all of us, a week we call Fleet Week. Let's continue to serve, protect, and uplift this great country and all those who are a part of it. Thank you very much. 

Secretary Phlean: Mr. Mayor, I've got a gift for you from the U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps, an old flag of New York. And that's an appreciation of your support.  

Mayor Adams: This ship is called what?  

Secretary Phlean: That's a very good question.  

Mayor Adams: Thank you very much. We want to give you a New York sign. This is where your tax dollars go.  

[Crosstalk.] 

Commissioner Hendon: His dedication to honoring service and sacrifice. He's the son of a World War II veteran himself, his father served in the Pacific, also his father's brothers all served in the Pacific, all U.S. Navy. From creating the iconic America's response monument at ground zero to the majestic Las Vegas Veterans Memorial.  

Today we are grateful to share with you the design concept for the City of New York's first post 9/11 war memorial. This memorial is a tribute that promises to stand as a lasting testament to our fallen heroes and their families. The first of what we pray will be more.  

And just to call the numbers again, 2.9 million served in the conflicts post 9/11. 1.9 million to Iraq and Afghanistan, another 1 million other contingency operations, think Libya, Syria, et cetera. More than half of those who served deployed more than once. Of all who served, 53,436 wounded in action, six missing in action, 7,064 killed in action. And the killed in action number, more than quadruple that have died by suicide in less than 20 years. After 9/11, the count was 31,177 who died by suicide.  

We're doing what we can to remember and never forget our people and their loved ones. Calling out all our gold star families and all of our blue star families, white star families, everyone in this tribe. And so with that, ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause and give it up for Douwe Blumberg 

Douwe Blumberg: Thank you. It's an honor to be here. As Commissioner Hendon mentioned, my father served in the Navy in World War II, as did his brothers. My mother's father died in the Dachau concentration camp one month before it was liberated. I myself was that far from joining the United States Marine Corps. As a young man, life took me in a completely different direction. And my wife and I are proud parents of a daughter who served in the United States Air Force.  

So of all the pieces that I have been blessed to be allowed to create around this country, of all genres, large pieces, small pieces, the pieces that commemorate our veterans and their service have always struck the deepest chords with me. This piece is even of a higher level of importance because not only is it commemorating service, but it's commemorating those who gave their lives, the ultimate sacrifice. To me, that makes this space hallowed ground.  

As events that are so current and as losses fade over, move back into time and become what we call history, and we read about in textbooks, their immediacy and their reality fades. They become grainy photographs. My prayer and hope is that this monument will help us today and future generations remember the humanity and the personhood of those fallen or those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, that they were fathers, mothers, brothers, sons, daughters, friends, loved ones. They had hopes and dreams and plans just like we do, just like the young people who will be sharing this memorial 10, 20, 30 years down the road.  

I commend the great City of New York, DVS, all the leaders spearheading this effort who deemed this important, and I truly am humbled and honored to stand here and be able to give in some way my artistic gift to help the great City of New York remember not only their sacrifice, but their individual lives for now and generations to come. So thank you very much for this opportunity.  

[Crosstalk.] 

Okay, this is impromptu. Commissioner Hendon wanted me to give a quick description. So last April, my wife and I were invited to a full military dress funeral out in Fort Riley for First Green Beret who received the Congressional Medal of Honor in Vietnam. And as those of you who have attended, it was extremely, it was my first one, it was extremely impacting.  

The flag ceremony where the flag is given to the family, the eternal flame, the playing of taps, very, very powerful elements. So my concept was to deconstruct those elements and put them all in this site. The three beautifully curved arcs hold a glass illuminated flame that shines over this flag, and the sides of those legs are sculpted with what we call bas relief, which is like a coin, images from the post 9/11 era. Because again, I want to bring home that these are people, these were faces, these were human beings that were serving, they were not just labels.  

Underneath the flame is an 11 or 12 foot tall mosaic tile folded flag that seems to be hovering. It will be beautifully illuminated at night. Standing right around 40 feet tall, around the edge of the plaza will be buglers playing taps from all of the services. And so we encapsulate this area of reflection, this area of honor, and as I said earlier, this hallowed ground. It's a tall piece because I think it will serve as its own beacon to liberty from the Throgs Neck Bridge, from wherever you stand. So very, very excited, and again, thank you for the opportunity. 

Commissioner Hendon: Let's keep that right in the background. It's going to be at the base of the Whitestone Bridge in Whitestone, Queens. So Queens was a location because we've identified, let's do the count, the 7,064 who were killed in action in these wars post 9/11. 296 in New York State. We've identified 105 of those who were in New York City. Queens had the most. 35, Queens. 30, Brooklyn. 18, Manhattan. 14, Bronx. And then 8, Staten Island.  

And so we're putting it here in the neighborhood which has the highest concentration of veterans in the borough with the highest number of veterans. You understand the symbolism? And so we're just so excited about this, and please, let's give Douwe and his team another round of applause for this.  

Alright, that concludes our program for today. You don't have to go home, and you don't have to get out of here yet. We have the place until noon, so we have the place until 12 p.m. Please continue to enjoy yourself and to learn more about Fleet Week and community events planned around Memorial Day. Please visit nyc.gov/FleetWeek. Once again, it's nyc.gov/FleetWeek. God bless you. God bless the City of New York, and God bless America. Thank you.