Source: United States Army
NEW YORK – For 175 years, Soldiers of the New York Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, known as the “Fighting 69th,” have led the world’s largest and oldest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, celebrating Irish heritage.
On March 17, 2026, six hundred Soldiers from the battalion continued the tradition as they marched down Manhattan’s 5th Avenue.
The battalion’s morning began early as the Soldiers visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, joining city and state leadership for the renowned St. Patrick’s Day Mass.
This year, the event was featured on the Fox and Friends national morning news show prior to the Mass. Host Steven Doocy interviewed Lt. Col. Andrew Prior, the battalion commander, and Sgt. Conner Battiste, and Spec. Daniel Pan, the battalion’s two best Soldiers..
Following Mass, the Soldiers marched to 44th Street, where they assembled with the 42nd Infantry Division band and others at the parade’s starting point. Joined by senior military leaders from the NYNG and the 42nd Inf. Div. band, the Fighting 69th then led 150,000 other parade participants up 5th Avenue, passing more than 2 million spectators along the nearly 2-mile route.
This year, officers from the Swedish military joined the New York National Guard leadership in the march. The New York National Guard has a partnership with the Swedish Military has part of the National Guard State. Partnership Program.
Reflecting on the significance of the day, Prior shared memories of growing up in the city and watching the parade as a child.
“I remember one year was different because we had tickets to watch from the steps of St. Patrick’s,” he said. “It was my first memory of this unit. I remember sitting on my father’s shoulders, staring at the Soldiers marching by, and my dad looked up and said, ‘That’s the Fighting 69th.’”
Because of the regiment’s roots in Irish American history, St. Patrick’s Day also serves as the battalion’s “Unit Day,” during which Soldiers are recognized for their accomplishments.
However, this year’s recognition ceremony saw a change of venue as the battalion’s Lexington Avenue Armory home undergoes extensive modernization. In a temporary shift of traditions, the Fighting 69th gathered instead at the historic Park Avenue Armory to honor the day’s achievements.
“Now, this isn’t Lexington Avenue; it’s not the 69th Armory, but it is still an honor to be gathered here at the Park Avenue Armory,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 William Solmo, NYNG’s state command chief warrant officer. “We would all rather be down the block in our own historic armory, but if we’re going to be temporarily displaced, we could do worse than landing here.”
This year’s celebration focused on the citizen-Soldier legacy, as leaders recognized the accomplishments of the battalion’s Soldiers with awards, promotions, and scholarships, followed by recognizing Solmo’s retirement after 40 years of service in the ARNG.
The 69th began leading the parade in 1851 because of threats of anti-Catholic and anti-Irish attacks on the procession by nativist groups.
In 2021, when the parade was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of 50 Soldiers from the 69th staged an informal parade up the route to keep the tradition alive.
The 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry, supposedly earned the nickname “Fighting 69th” from Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. He is said to have referred to the Irish American unit as “that fighting 69th regiment” following the battle of Fredericksburg in 1863.
Speaking during the recognition ceremony, Maj. Gen. Raymond Shields, the New York Adjutant General, commended the battalion on hosting Swedish officers in this year’s parade.
“In 2024, we signed an agreement with Sweden under the State Partnership Program,” he said. “Sweden is a fantastic partner, and we are thrilled they got to see something very few people experience – marching in the parade today.”
For more photos of the event, go to the NYNG’s Flickr page here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCNudq.