Troops of the New York Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry, marched at the lead of the New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade this year, just as they have since 1851.
The march up Manhattan's 5th Avenue marked the highlight of a tradition suffused in the history of one of the National Guard's most storied units.
Each Soldier in the 750-person formation marched with the stories of the past -- the tales of valor in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and current overseas contingency operations -- living on in each tradition kept.
It's a little late for St. Patrick's Day, but I'll drink to the unit anyway.
