World renowned bagpiper Joe Brady will lead Thursday's New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade for his 33rd consecutive and final time.
As the Regimental Pipe Major of the 1st Battalion, 69th Regiment (the famed Fighting 69th) Brady marches at the very head of the parade with and in front of the regiment
He leads the battalion whose soldiers have marched at the front of the 260-year old parade for the last 161 years.
"I have had the honor to lead over 800 soldiers into a packed St. Patrick's Cathedral to celebrate Mass, and then to march in one of the largest parades in the world, a celebration of our Irish religious, ethnic and civic values," Brady said.
"It is incredibly inspiring,” added the Peekskill resident.
Brady, 66, will hand over the physically demanding role of leading the march upon a young champion bagpiper, Sean Dalgauer.
Delgauer, 25, from Whitehouse Station, New Jersey is, like Brady, an Iona College graduate who started playing the pipes when he was a child.
“Marching with the 69th Infantry Regiment has been so special to me because of its rich military history as the most decorated regiment in the country and its ongoing commitment to giving back to the community,” said Brady.
“Sean appreciates the Regiment the way I do and it was the right time and right thing to do for the regiment to pass the baton.”
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