LAYTON — The 14th annual Northern Utah Veterans Day Parade will be held in Layton this year.

The parade is set for Saturday, Nov. 9, with the procession beginning at 11:11 a.m. — a nod to the exact moment the World War I Armistice was signed 101 years ago, on Nov. 11, 1918.

The armistice officially ended combat in the war and Armistice Day became an annual holiday in the United States. The holiday was eventually renamed Veterans Day to honor those who participated in all of America’s wars.

In an email to the Standard-Examiner, Dennis Howland, president of the Northern Utah chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America and head organizer of the parade, said staging will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of Talbot Drive and Gentile Street. The route will head west on Gentile Street, then north up Wasatch Drive onto Constitution Avenue before ending at the Layton Commons Park, 437 N. Wasatch Drive.

Following the parade, a ceremony will be held at Utah’s Replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Howland said the ceremony will start at approximately 12:30 p.m.

Howland, who has been involved in organizing the parade since it began in 2006, said being a veteran is not a requirement for participating in the parade.

“Just a sincere desire to honor those who protect our freedoms and security of this great nation,” he said. “Join us, walk with us, honor all our heroes with us.”

After 11 years in Ogden, the parade was moved to Layton in 2017.

In years past, the event has featured a 57,000-pound Utah National Guard Paladin howitzer tank. Other vintage military vehicles, as well as high school Junior ROTC units, high school bands, members of the Utah Military Academy, equipment and personnel from Hill Air Force Base are also typically seen at the celebration.

The parade is hosted by Vietnam Veterans of America and Associates, the Fleet Reserve Association and Layton City. 

For more information, contact Howland at 801-389-1893 or Robert Porter at 801-393-3461.