Annual parade honors veterans in Media, Pa.

MEDIA, Pa. (WPVI) -- Members of the Greatest Generation were honored Tuesday during one of the Delaware Valley's largest Veterans Day events.

For 55 years they have putting on a remarkable small-town parade in Media. There are bands and cars, flags and honor guards.

But the stars of this show have always been those who have served their country.

This year, the focus was on World War 2 veterans - the Greatest Generation. Their hair is gray, their faces creased and lined.

According to the VA World War 2 vets are dying at a rate of 550 a day. 16 million Americans served during the war, but only a little over a million are still with us.

But they were once youngsters who became soldiers, sailors, fliers and Marines.

Stephen Rullo was aboard a light cruiser in the South Pacific. The job: to protect aircraft carriers and their planes, which were battling the Japanese.

"I can remember vividly near the end, that at one time there were over 8,000 planes in the air," Rullo told Action News. "Our planes. You couldn't even see the sky because all the planes were bombarding Japan."

Mild weather helped ensure a big turnout at Tuesday's ceremonies.

After the parade, a number of dignitaries including Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey addressed those gathered in front of the Delaware County Courthouse.

They did their duty, this Greatest Generation, seven decades ago. Today in Media younger generations said thank you for what you did.