Indian American Astronaut Sunita Williams Leads New York Veterans Day Parade as Grand Marshal
NEW YORK–Indian American astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Captain Sunita Williams was honored as Grand Marshal of New York City’s 107th annual Veterans Day Parade, leading thousands of veterans, military personnel and community members along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.
Williams, a veteran astronaut who spent more than 600 days in space during her NASA career, led Wednesday’s procession, which brought together approximately 20,000 participants to recognize the service and sacrifices of American military veterans.
Describing her selection as Grand Marshal as “an incredible honour”, Williams reflected on the influence of her military career on her accomplishments in space exploration.
“My time in the Navy shaped who I am and prepared me for every challenge that followed”, she said.
“I’m proud to join New Yorkers and Americans from around the country in honouring the service, sacrifice, and commitment of veterans from every generation”, Williams added.
The parade featured thousands of former service members alongside active-duty military personnel, law enforcement officers, community organizations, school groups and marching bands.
Several companies also participated with floats recognizing veterans employed in their organizations.
Williams, who served as a Navy test pilot before joining NASA, completed three space missions and accumulated 608 days in orbit.
She also established a record for the most spacewalks conducted by a woman, completing nine excursions outside spacecraft totaling approximately 62 hours.
Her most recent spaceflight attracted international attention after what was originally planned as an eight-day mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024 turned into an extended stay aboard the International Space Station.
Technical problems involving the Starliner prevented Williams and fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore from returning aboard the spacecraft as originally planned.
The two astronauts ultimately returned to Earth in March 2025 aboard a SpaceX Crew-9 spacecraft after spending approximately nine months in space.
Before leading the Veterans Day Parade, Williams participated in an event aboard the USS San Antonio commemorating the anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Williams is the daughter of Deepak Pandya, an Indian American neuroanatomist, and Ursuline Pandya, who is originally from Slovenia.
Throughout her career, she has maintained connections to her Indian heritage. During her first mission to the International Space Station in 2006, she carried a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scripture.
She later brought the Upanishads, a collection of ancient Indian philosophical texts, to the space station during a mission in 2012.
Her selection as Grand Marshal highlighted her contributions to both the U.S. military and American space exploration, bringing recognition to a career that has spanned naval aviation, scientific research and human spaceflight. (Source: IANS)
