New York. Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams was honored as the 'Grand Marshal' during the 'Veterans Day' parade. This parade is organized to pay tribute to the former military personnel. Retired Navy Captain Sunita Williams led a parade of 20,000 people on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue on Wednesday (local time).
Sunita Williams said that being 'Grand Marshal' is 'a huge honor' for her. “My time in the Navy has made me who I am today, and it has prepared me for every challenge that lies ahead,” he recalled. “I am proud to join with the people of New York and citizens across America to honor the service, sacrifice and dedication of veterans of every generation,” she said.
Before joining NASA, Williams was a test pilot. She spent a total of 608 days in space during three missions and holds the record for the most number of space walks by a woman, nine, spending a total of 62 hours in space.
This was the 107th annual 'Veterans Day' parade. It was attended by thousands of ex-servicemen as well as contingents from the armed forces, local law enforcement agencies, community groups and schools, and featured a number of bands. There were tableaux of many companies in the parade, in which ex-servicemen working with them were shown. The day before the parade, Williams participated in the 251st anniversary of the founding of the Marine Corps aboard the USS San Antonio.
Let us tell you that Sunita Williams is the daughter of neuroanatomist Deepak Pandya and Ursuline Pandya, a resident of Slovenia. She came into limelight when she was stuck in the International Space Station for several months. She went on an 8-day space journey in the first manned flight of the Boeing Starliner in 2024, but due to a technical fault in the Starliner, she had to stay in space for almost nine months.