New York City Victory Parade of 1946 facts for kids
The New York City Victory Parade of 1946 was a huge celebration held in New York City, United States. It took place on January 12, 1946. This parade honored the end of World War II and celebrated the victory.
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A Big Celebration in NYC
The parade was led by about 13,000 soldiers. These soldiers were from the famous 82nd Airborne Division. This group was also known as the "All-American Division." They were chosen to represent the entire U.S. Army. Their leader was General James M. Gavin.
A special part of this division was the African-American 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion. They were also part of the parade.
What Was in the Parade?
The parade showed off many military vehicles. You could see powerful Sherman tanks. There were also other armored vehicles. These included self-propelled howitzers, which are big cannons.
High above, C-47 planes flew by. These planes were even towing gliders! The 82nd Airborne Division had also marched in a similar parade in Berlin in 1945.
Getting Ready for the Parade
The soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division worked hard to get ready. They had been on duty in Berlin. After that, they trained three times a day since late 1945.
They arrived in the United States on January 3. They sailed on a big ship called the RMS Queen Mary. Then, they continued their training at Camp Shanks before the big day.
The Parade Route
The parade started at Washington Square Park. It then marched all the way up Fifth Avenue. Reports said the parade was four miles long!
It was a special kind of parade called a ticker tape parade. This means people threw shredded paper from tall buildings. It looked like a snowstorm of celebration! Old newsreels from that time showed the parade.
However, Life magazine said the parade felt "oddly subdued." They thought this was because many military bands were not there. This was due to the military becoming smaller after the war.
Important government officials watched the parade. These included the New York Governor, Thomas E. Dewey. The New York City Mayor, William O'Dwyer, was also there. Even the former Mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia, attended.
New York City was a major spot for celebrations. It had the biggest Victory in Europe Day parties. Two months before this parade, there was also a naval victory parade in New York.
