Black Mountain Salutes to honor those who served with annual downtown gathering

WNC Veterans Day parade returns to State Street for seventh year

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
November 10, 2025

In 2024, the annual WNC Veterans Day Parade, presented by Black Mountain Salutes, brought current and former military members, first responders and other to downtown, weeks after Helene. The event will return, Nov. 11, for its seventh year. Photo by Fred McCormick

The bravery and sacrifices of the men and women who served their country will be honored in downtown, beginning at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 11, when Black Mountain Salutes presents the 7th Annual Western N.C. Veterans Day Parade. 

The event, which is free and open to the public, serves as an opportunity for the community to pay homage to area heroes.

The procession, which will begin in front of the Black Mountain Primary School and end at North Dougherty Street, was established by three local veterans in 2018. Last year, the ceremonial march included current and former members of the armed forces and the first responders, brought hundred of spectators to the center of town, six weeks after Tropical Storm Helene.

Military equipment and uniformed veterans will proceed through downtown Black Mountain, Nov. 11, as the annual WNC Veterans Day Parade, presented by Black Mountain Salutes, returns. Photo by Fred McCormick

Colonel John Hoffman, who served as a U..S. Army helicopter pilot in south Vietnam, following the withdrawal of the vast majority of American troops from the region in the final days of the war, will lead this year’s parade as the grand marshal. The retired officer authored “Saigon Guns: A True Story of Aerial Combat in the Fall of 1972” in 2023. The award-winning book, available on major distributors, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Audible, offers a first-hand account of the “untold story of heroism, dedication and refusal to yield the battlefield despite being largely considered by U.S. political leaders as ‘expendable,’” according to its website.

The procession will feature veterans from across the region and groups, including JROTC programs from local schools, Veterans of Foreign War, American Legion, Combat Motorcycle Club, Paws and Effect and Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops. Dignitaries, military vehicles and bag pipes will also be included in the event.

The ceremony can be viewed from the sidewalks along East and West State Street.