The following is a press release just distributed announcing broadcast plans for this year’s National Memorial Day Parade on the television network REELZ.


Oscar-Nominated Actor Gary Sinise, Actor Joe Mantegna and Celebrity Chef and Royal Navy Veteran Robert Irvine to Serve as Honorary Celebrity Marshals. Phil Vassar, John Michael Montgomery Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell and Tony Orlando Will Perform as Musical Guests

REELZ today announced that the men and women who have given their lives in defense of freedom in the world will be honored at The American Veterans Center’s 2016 National Memorial Day Parade airing live on Monday, May 30 starting at 2pm ET/ 11am PT. The 12th Annual National Memorial Day Parade is a moving timeline of American military history saluting our nation’s active military men and women as well as fallen heroes from the American Revolution to the present day.

This year’s Parade will recognize the 75th anniversary of America’s entry into World War II with a salute to World War II veterans as well as the 50th anniversary commemorating the veterans of the Vietnam War. To mark the 25th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm and honor those who served and sacrificed there will be a tribute with hundreds of Gulf War veterans reuniting at the Parade in what will be the largest reunion of veterans since the 1991 welcome home parade for Gulf War veterans along Constitution Avenue.

The Parade will also recognize the 15th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. More than 1,000 active duty military personnel will participate in the Parade.

“Parades on Memorial Day have been a tradition since the holiday began following the Civil War,” said James C. Roberts, President of the American Veterans Center. “We are honored to join REELZ in bringing the National Memorial Day Parade to the entire country, to help call attention to the true meaning of the holiday – honoring and remembering our fallen heroes.”

“It’s truly a great honor to once again broadcast the National Memorial Day Parade live for our viewers,” said Stan E. Hubbard, CEO of REELZ. “We’re thankful to our service men and women and their families for the many sacrifices they’ve made and continue to make.”

The National Memorial Day Parade is the largest Memorial Day event in the nation and this year features Oscar®-nominated actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise, actor and Criminal Minds star Joe Mantegna and celebrity chef and Royal Navy veteran Robert Irvine serving as an Honorary Celebrity Marshals with musical performances by country stars Phil Vassar and John Michael Montgomery, Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell and Tony Orlando.

The American Veterans Center in Washington, D.C. had its first National Memorial Day Parade in 2005 and in each subsequent year the Parade has grown in both size and scope. Since 2008 the Parade has been televised and broadcast live to American service men and women stationed around the globe.

This year’s National Memorial Day Parade will commence at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, NW. It will proceed west down Constitution, past the White House, ending at 17th Street. Participants will pass by the nation’s monuments, museums and hundreds of thousands of spectators waving their flags and cheering for our country’s heroes – the men and women who wear the uniforms of our armed forces.

From the American Revolution to present day conflicts, the Parade will commemorate the American spirit and the sacrifices of those soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who serve. The Parade will include floats, high school marching bands, veterans, service members, local celebrities, service organizations, clubs and much more.

Broadcasting the National Memorial Day Parade continues REELZ’s tradition of supporting America’s military through programming partnerships. Since 2008 the network has provided its original programming to the American Forces Network which serves over a half million American service men and women, Department of Defense civilians and their families overseas, stationed at bases in 174 countries as well as U.S. Navy ships at sea

About REELZ—Real lives. Real stories. Real celebrities.
REELZ is a leading independent cable and satellite general entertainment network that is home to factual entertainment, television events, miniseries, movies and series featuring big stories and big stars. Programming ranges from the critically acclaimed and award-winning The Kennedys to Autopsy: The Last Hours Of…, Celebrity Legacies, Celebrity Page, Hollywood Scandals, Murder Made Me Famous, the upcoming miniseries The Kennedys-After Camelot and much more that connects directly to the world of entertainment. REELZ also showcases top movie and entertainment expert Leonard Maltin who provides specific on-air recommendations for movies viewers can watch at home.

REELZ is available in 70 million homes on DIRECTV channel 238, DISH Network channel 299, Verizon FiOS TV channel 233, Time Warner Cable channel 128, AT&T U-verse channels 799/1799HD and cable systems nationwide. Find REELZ in your area by visiting http://www.reelz.com. REELZ is a High-Definition network and if it is not available, or not in HD, on your cable or telco provider, we encourage viewers to call them and ask for it. Owned by Hubbard Media Group, REELZ is headquartered in Albuquerque, NM with national ad sales based in New York City with offices in Boston and Chicago. As one of the last truly independent television networks remaining in today’s media landscape REELZ has created the Independence Happens Here® website to help keep free thought and innovation alive by highlighting the importance of independent businesses. The website can be found at http://IndependenceHappensHere.com.

For more information, please contact the REELZ Media Line
877- REELZTV (733-5988) / pr(at)reelz(dot)com