New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Organizers of New Bedford’s Veterans Day Parade today extended an invitation to area residents to attend New Bedford’s 2017 Veterans Day Parade on Saturday, November 11, 2017, beginning at 11:00 a.m. The 2017 New Bedford parade is presented by the City of New Bedford Veterans Advisory Board Veterans Day Parade Committee.
City Veteran’s Agent Chris Gomes said the organizers are extending an open invitation to all area veterans to march in the New Bedford parade, whether they are a post member or not. “Our local veterans’ groups welcome all veterans to march with their organizations, and we hope they will be able to join us in the parade rather than as observers,” said Gomes.
Parade participants will gather at the intersection of Rockdale Avenue and Union Street (Buttonwood Park) at approximately 10:30 a.m. and the parade will step off at 11:00 a.m. sharp.
The parade route has changed this year due to ongoing roadwork in the City. The parade will march east on Union Street, then turn left onto County Street, and then turn right onto William Street to the reviewing stand located in front of the New Bedford Main Library on the corner of Pleasant Street and William Street.
A Veterans’ Day service will be held at the reviewing stand at the conclusion of the parade and all participants and parade attendees are encouraged to attend. Seating will be reserved for elderly and disabled veterans near the reviewing stand.
Parade organizers have announced that Desert Storm and Bosnia veteran Paul Souza will serve as the Grand Marshal of the 2017 parade.
About Paul Souza
Born the son of New Bedford native Dr. Joseph “Zac” Souza, Paul Souza enlisted in the United States Army in September 1983 as a 19 Echo, Armor Crewman. He attended Basic Training at Fort Knox Kentucky. After training he would be go to Germany to the 3rd Armored Division, both the 2nd BN 33rd Armor and 2nd Bn 32nd Armor of the where he would serve as a Tank Driver, Tank Loader, and then transition to become a 19Kilo M1 Abrams Tank Gunner.
He was then reassigned to Fort Hood Texas to the 1st Bn 32nd Armor of the 1st Cavalry Division and in 1990 would deploy to Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Upon his return he would again be reassigned to Germany to become part of the 1st Armored Division where he would become a Tank Commander.
He was again reassigned to Fort Riley Kansas and the 1st Infantry Division, 1st Bn 34th Armor and continued served as Tank Commander. After a brief time as an Army Recruiter in Fullerton California he would return to Fort Riley and would deploy to Bosnia peacekeeping mission. He would remain at Fort Riley as a Platoon sergeant until his retirement in 2003.
He is currently an employee of the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office and the Executive Officer for the Abrams Company of the United States Brotherhood of Tankers, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of America’s armor and cavalry heritage.
