The 2025 Philadelphia Veterans Day Parade is Sunday, November 9, and the grand marshal will be local veteran and retired Air Force officer Ralph Galati, writes Isaac Avilucea for AXIOS Philadelphia.
Galati’s experience in the Air Force was a traumatizing one, as he went through 14 months of torture and interrogation as a prisoner of war while in Hanoi during the early 1970s.
Since then, he has dedicated his life to advocating for fellow veterans.
While Galati, now 77, will be smiling and waving to attendees during the upcoming Philadelphia Veterans Day Parade, his focus will be on the nearly 81,000 American troops who are missing in action from previous wars.
“For those that fought for it, freedom has a flavor that the protected will never know,” Galati told AXIOS.
His experiences as a POW caused him to be celebrated and gain a warm embrace upon his return from the Vietnam War.
However, Galati understands that not every fellow vet receives that same reaction upon their returns.
That serves as a point of motivation for the Silver Star recipient: to honor fellow vets who haven’t received the same level of treatment after enduring the rigors of war.
Read more about Ofc. Ralph Galati’s experience as a POW and how he serves to support his fellow vets at AXIOS Philadelphia.
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