WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Marching in the Wyoming Valley Veterans Parade is one of the last things Myron Perry plans to do before being deployed to Africa with the U.S. Army.
“We're going to be going out there; it's going to be a really new experience for me, I've never been outside of the country,” he said.
After spending his childhood cheering on his family members from the sidelines as they marched through Veterans Day parades.
“My dad was in the army as a medic; his dad was a Navy seal,” Perry added.
This year, Myron Perry is marching alongside his fellow soldiers in honor of Veterans Day, a holiday he never forgets.
“The biggest reason why it's so important is because everyone out here is willing to give their life,” Perry said.
A service Perry is seeing not enough people his age want to do.
“People just don't want to join because lots of their parents are the ones that went to Iraq and Afghanistan, and those generations of soldiers did not have a good time,” he explained.
What convinced Perry to join are the war stories from his grandparents and other veterans shared with him.
“The military that my Navy Seal grandpa enlisted into is probably not even recognizable compared to the Navy or the military that I'm in,” Perry mentioned.
From Korean War Veterans to servicemen who just enlisted in the Army years ago, the Veterans Day parade through Wilkes Barre shows off different generations of the military to encourage the next generation to also enlist.
“I wanted to enlist to serve and protect my community, to serve my country, to set an example for my younger brothers, and it's a great honor to do it,” said David Gonzales. U.S. Army.
Events like the Wyoming Valley Veterans Parade are what remind everyone in uniform that their efforts are seen.
“Every person who signs up to join the military is basically signing a blank check to the United States government that says 'payable up to, including their life,’” Perry said.
A service Perry is proud to do and come back to next year's parade with more stories to share from his time overseas.