Following morning ceremonies at the Key West Cemetery and Bayview Park in honor of Veterans Day, Key West hosted its annual Veterans Day Parade at 4 p.m. on Duval Street.
The island city’s military past and present were on full display, with current and retired service members from the Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard marching in uniform down the city’s main commercial thoroughfare.
The next generation of soldiers and sailors was also present as high school members of the Civil Air Patrol and Junior ROTC joined the parade, along with the Key West High School Marching Band and dozens of other groups.
U.S. law defines a veteran as “a person who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.” For those who enlisted after Sept. 8, 1980, service members must have served a minimum of 24 months of active duty to be considered a veteran. If the service member becomes disabled because of their time in the service, there is no minimum length of service to qualify for veterans’ benefits.
