Sailors and Marines marched in the 78th annual Glendale-Ridgewood Memorial Day Parade as part of Fleet Week New York (FWNY), May 30.

Sailors attached to USS Bataan (LHD 5) and Marines attached to 2nd Marines Division, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines Headquarters and Service Company volunteered their time to show support for the annual event.

"For me, this parade means a lot," said Glendale native and Army veteran Ernie Watkins. "It's a way of remembering the people that we lost, and when you have this parade and have people come out to cheer you on, it's the greatest thing in the world."

Local members of the community such as Boy Scout Troop 327, Girl Scout Troop 4204, and the U.S. Navy Armed Guard Cadets, and others organizations marched with service members during the hourlong parade that began at the Glendale Monument.

"We saw many veterans around while marching in the parade," said Sgt. Jordan Ivy. "It's a great day to remember all the veterans and service members who made the ultimate sacrifice, and I had a great sense of pride representing the Marine Corps."

At the conclusion of the parade, service members were invited to the American Legion Post 1815 for food and refreshments, and were treated to a performance by The American Bombshells, a musical group who perform for service members around the world.

FWNY, now in its 28th year, is the city's celebration of the sea services. Fleet week provides an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as see firsthand the latest capabilities of today's maritime services.

For up-to-date information on all Fleet Week events, visit the official Fleet Week New York website at http://www.fleetweeknewyork.com/, "Like" FleetWeekNewYork on Facebook, and "Follow" @FleetWeekNYC on Twitter. Fleet Week New York photos can be viewed on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/fleetweeknyc/ and Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fwynpao/. Join the conversation on social media by using #FleetWeekNYC.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil/, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy/, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy/.

For more news from Commander, Navy Region Mid Atlantic, visit http://www.navy.mil/.