While nearly a million Giants fans pack into Lower Manhattan this morning for a parade celebrating the triumph of one billion-dollar corporation over another, veterans of the Iraq war have yet to be honored in the Canyon of Heroes. "If a football team gets a parade, shouldn't our veterans?" asks Paul Rieckhoff, the founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Former Mayor Ed Koch agrees, and tells the Times, "I believe a parade is required, is necessary, and New York City is the place to have it."
In interviews, Mayor Bloomberg has said that America should learn from the mistreatment of Vietnam veterans, but has stopped short of advocating for a parade for Iraq veterans, saying that the decision is out of his hands. "It's a federal thing that we really don't want to do without talking to Washington, and we'll be doing that."
Bloomberg is following the advice of the Pentagon and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who believe a parade is premature. “We simply don’t think a national-level parade is appropriate while we continue to have America’s sons and daughters in harm’s way," a spokesman for one of the Joint Chiefs told the paper. A political science professor at MIT speculates that the military is trying to prevent "Mission Accomplished" moments. “I’m sure that the military is very sensitive to that. If we’re going to have a celebration for the end of the war, let’s make sure that we actually have an end of the war.”
Indeed, the U.S. embassy's staff of 16,000, and thousands more security contractors remain in Iraq after the war's end last month, not to mention the Predator Drones that will continue to fly missions over the country, all while the president attempts to safely draw down operations in Afghanistan.
Still, St. Louis had no problem holding a parade for Iraq veterans last month, and the VFW supports the idea. Christine Quinn released a joint statement with city council members on Thursday:
A citywide celebration recognizing the incredible contribution these soldiers have made in the name of freedom is in order. The sacrifices made by our troops and their families cannot be ignored and deserve to be honored by cities across the nation, New York City first and foremost.
