Veterans in NYC Being Honored by Inaugural Ruck March as Mamdani Ditches Ticker-Tape Parade

New York City will hold its first city-sponsored ruck march next month to honor veterans, replacing the ticker-tape parade the previous administration had planned.

Registration is currently open for what’s described by city officials as a Remembrance Ruck scheduled for Sept. 13. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat, and the city’s Department of Veterans’ Services made the announcement this week. The event will send participants across the Brooklyn Bridge, carrying the names of fallen service members.

The ruck is being held in lieu of the “Homecoming of Heroes” ticker-tape parade that former NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ administration had announced, with the change tied to a budget decision.

A city savings plan cut $60,000 a year for veterans’ events from Fiscal Years 2026 to 2030, with City Hall saying it would rely more on private fundraising to pay for ceremonies, according to a mayoral spokesperson.

That decision has divided veterans and elected officials over what the city owes those who served, and how best to deliver it.

The mayor’s office and the Department of Veterans’ Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Military.com.

‘A Day of Remembrance’

The event is in partnership with New York Road Runners, the organization behind the New York City Marathon. It kicks off at 9 a.m. at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, crosses the Brooklyn Bridge, then ends at Foley Square in Manhattan, according to the mayor’s office.

A ruck involves marching a set distance while carrying a weighted pack, a common military training and endurance exercise. This event is open to everyone, the city said, including veterans, active-duty service members, reservists, caregivers, survivors, Gold Star families, military families and civilians.

Participants will carry the names of fallen service members, culminating in a resource fair offering information on housing, mental health services and other support the city provides to veterans.

“New York City is incomplete without our veterans, whose contribution to this city is immeasurable,” Mamdani said in a statement.

He described the ruck as “a day of remembrance, gratitude and support” and said his administration is committed to supporting veterans “not just through celebratory events but through long-term, durable support.” The mayor’s office said it developed the event in consultation with veterans’ groups.

The ruck is being held in lieu of the “Homecoming of Heroes” ticker-tape parade that former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration had announced. That change is tied to a budget decision.

A city savings plan cut $60,000 a year for veterans’ events from fiscal 2026 through 2030, with City Hall saying it would rely more on private fundraising to pay for ceremonies, according to a mayoral spokesperson cited in reporting on the plan.

That decision has divided veterans and elected officials over what the city owes those who served, and how best to deliver it. The mayor’s office and the Department of Veterans’ Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Military.com.

‘A Slap in the Face’ to Some

New York City Councilmember Robert Holden was among the sharpest critics of the city’s new plan.

He said that replacing the parade with a cheaper event is “insulting” and said the city “has no problem wasting billions of dollars, but suddenly, when it comes to honoring our veterans and 9/11 heroes, they want to pinch pennies.”

For some veterans, the objection is about what a ticker-tape parade represents. A parade is a visible, public acknowledgment of service and sacrifice.

Critics have questioned whether a ruck matches that, as seen in arguments made by the veterans group NY MetroVets.

Credit: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Enge You

Osbert Orduna, a service-disabled Marine Corps veteran, called the change “a slap in the face to veterans,” arguing that gatherings like these help keep veterans connected and can prevent isolation.

Other veterans see the shift differently.

Ryan Graham, an Air Force veteran who chairs the New York City Veterans Advisory Board, dismissed the value of such events altogether.

“Events are fluff,” Graham said, adding that he would rather see the money spent on the Department of Veterans Services to help veterans with housing, mental health and food insecurity.

NYC’s Plan

Beyond the event, the mayor’s office said it is expanding support for New York City veterans.

That includes more housing and rental assistance, job training, education benefits, business support, and access to mental health care.

The city has cast the ruck and its resource fair as part of a broader shift toward what it calls durable support, pairing the day of remembrance with services rather than staging a parade alone.

Participants step off at 9 a.m. Sept. 13 from Cadman Plaza. Registration is open on the city’s website.