Veteran and VA museum volunteer honored as Grand Marshal of 2024 Philadelphia Veterans Parade
Albert El is one of the first faces you see when you walk into the Philadelphia VA Museum, located at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center.
For more than 25 years, El has been a volunteer museum curator, taking employees, volunteers, veterans and visitors on a journey through military history.
El enlisted when he was just 17 years old and served in the Air Force, Army and Army National Guard. From 1959 to 1964, he served in the 82nd Airborne as a paratrooper in Special Operations.
El is dedicated to preserving history and is often seen wearing a Civil War uniform, performing re-enactments and giving lectures throughout the state.
"So many people don't even know their parents served in the military because they don't talk about it. And if you don't talk about it, you lose your history," El said.
El has put in more than 10,000 hours helping fellow veterans and their families. Because of his dedication, he's being recognized as this year's Grand Marshal presiding over the 10th Annual Philadelphia Veterans Parade.
El's love for his fellow veterans and sharing their stories is his top priority.
"As long as the VA is around, I'll be around. That's the way it works," he said.
The Philadelphia Veterans Parade kicks off at approximately 12 p.m. at 21st Street and the Ben Franklin Parkway on Sunday, Nov. 10, and ends just past the Philadelphia Art Museum at Eakins Oval.
The festival follows the parade from noon until 4 p.m.