U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground Soldiers get warm reception at Veterans Day Parade

Official Statements

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 12: “American Legion Post #19 has staged Yuma's large Veterans Day parade for decades, and U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) personnel always appear in full force. Led by YPG Commander Col. Charles Seaberry with wife Rachelle and Command Sgt. Maj. Joshua Holthus, Soldiers from YPG's elite Airborne Test Force rode through the cheering crowds on Nov. 11, 2026.”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 12: “The Seaberrys rode with Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls and wife Danette in a 1992 Pontiac Trans Am convertible modeled after KITT in the original "Knight Rider" TV series, driven by Craig Higgins. Holthus rode in a truck and trailer with the Soldiers, some of whom donned the gear they use conducting developmental testing of all manner of personnel and cargo parachutes. In the first division, officers from the YPG Police Department waved to the packed sidewalks from one of their patrol vehicles.”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 12: “The parade’s theme was “standing proud for those who served,” and Julie Engel, longtime president of the ‘Yuma 50’ military support group, was grand marshal. Following the parade, Seaberry was keynote speaker at Post # 19’s annual 11th Hour observance, which remembers the exact moment the guns fell silent in Europe after the armistice that ended World War I. Seaberry praised the Yuma community for its staunch support of the military and commitment to service, saying it was the most notable of any community he has encountered.”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 12: “You remind us that service isn’t just something we do, it is part of who we are,” he said. He also noted the YPG personnel working on developmental testing that will influence warfighter equipment for years to come.”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 12: “While much of that work happens behind the scenes, the purpose of what they accomplish is very simple: to ensure America’s sons and daughters have the equipment, capability, and confidence needed to accomplish their mission and return home safely,” he said. “That’s a responsibility I take very personally, and it connects what we do to the generations of veterans we honor today.”