South Charleston hosted the 2021 Herbert J. Thomas Memorial Armed Forces Day Parade on Saturday. The parade was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, and it’s one of the longest-running Armed Forces Day parades in the country. World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Elvin Davis served as grand marshal of the parade along D Street. Armed Forces Day was created by President Harry S. Truman in 1949. The holiday is celebrated on the third Saturday of every May.