New York Today: Patriotism on Parade

Michael Appleton for The New York Times The Veterans Day parade up Fifth Avenue is expected to draw nearly 40,000 participants.

New York City’s Veterans Day parade, which steps off this morning, has marched a long way.

There were times when crowds were so sparse that participants outnumbered spectators.

“Back when Dinkins was mayor I can recall going up Fifth Avenue with less than 25 people,” said Vince McGowan, who has run the parade since the 1980s.

“The cops would have pushed us onto the sidewalk if we didn’t have the mayor with us.”

The parade did stage a comeback in 1995, when half a million people marked the 50th anniversary of World War II’s end.

Since then, it’s had more ups and downs, in response to popular sentiment about America’s wars.

But today, organizers expect hundreds of thousands to line Fifth Avenue as 37,000 soldiers and other marchers make their way from 26th Street to 56th Street.

The parade is broadcast on Fox affiliates. It’s also beamed to military bases and ships.

Honorees include the first female four-star general and the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Battle of Iwo Jima.

A Santa Claus in camouflage will bring up the rear.

The opening ceremony is at 10 a.m. beside Madison Square Park. The parade starts at 11:25.

Here’s what else you need to know for Monday.

WEATHER

A bit chillier and clouding up, with a high of 52. Maybe a sprinkle late in the evening.

COMMUTE

Subways: Click for latest status.

Rails: Click for L.I.R.R., Metro-North or New Jersey Transit status.

Roads: Click for traffic map or radio report on the 1s.

Alternate-side parking is suspended for Veterans Day.

COMING UP TODAY

- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Mayor-elect de Bill Blasio both speak at and march in the Veterans Day ceremonies, though not, apparently, together, according to their schedules.

- Plant daffodil bulbs and clean up at Old West Farms Soldiers’ Cemetery in the Bronx. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. [Free]

- A Public Theater production of “Much Ado About Nothing” at the recreation center at Jackie Robinson Park in Harlem. 1:30 p.m. [Free]

- A night of stand-up comedy hosted by an Army Reserve sergeant to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project at Comic Strip Live on the Upper East Side. 8 p.m [$15]

- Paul Simon and others read the poems of Seamus Heaney to the accompaniment of Irish pipes at Cooper Union. 7 p.m. [Free]

- The N.Y.U. Symphony plays Bartok and Schubert at the Church of St. Joseph in Greenwich Village. 8 p.m. [Free]

- For more events, see The New York Times Arts & Entertainment guide.

IN THE NEWS…

- A musician outraged at being thrown out of a band shot and killed three of his ex-bandmates and then himself in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. [New York Post]

- A 16-year-old was charged with attempted murder for Saturday night’s shooting at the Bryant Park skating rink. [New York Times]

- A 900-page debut novel set in 1970s Manhattan fetched an eye-popping advance of nearly $2 million. [New York Times]

- The Brooklyn Philharmonic is in danger of bankruptcy. [Crain's]

- A helpful guide to public bathrooms in Manhattan. [Gothamist]

Joseph Burgess contributed reporting.

New York Today is a morning roundup that stays live from 6 a.m. till about noon.

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