Westpoint Grad to Keynote Rye Veterans Day Event

The City of Rye and and American Legion Post 128 will continue its tradition of honoring Rye veterans on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2026. The ceremony will be held at Rye City Hall at 10:30am. The ceremony is planned to be outdoors, weather depending, and will move indoors if necessary.

American Legion Post 128 Commander Fred de Barros will lead the ceremony. He will highlight the American Legion values of the importance of preserving our American traditions and values, improving the quality of life for our nation’s children, caring for veterans and their families, and most importantly, teaching the fundamentals of good citizenship.

Keynote Speaker

This year’s keynote speaker will be Rye resident Christian Wade, a West Point graduate and US Army veteran who served in Iraq.

Wade was commissioned as an officer from West Point into the U.S. Army in 2000 and went on to serve for five years on active duty, largely with the 3^rd Infantry Division. He deployed to the Middle East multiple times in support of the post 9-11 Global War on Terror and served as the Troop Fire Support Officer with Alpha Troop, 3^rd Squadron 7^th Cavalry – the lead conventional U.S. Army unit during the initial three-week assault from Kuwait to Baghdad, Iraq in March of 2003.     

In this role, Wade planned, synchronized and executed all indirect fires (close air support, artillery, and mortars) at the decisive point of multiple direct-fire enemy engagements within Iraq and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for actions during combat service. 

After leaving active-duty military service, Wade received his MBA from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and currently works as a senior managing director for Guggenheim Securities in New York. Wade currently lives in Rye with his wife Cristina and two children. 

Rye City Mayor Josh Nathan, US Representative George Latimer and NYS Assemblyman Steve Otis are expected to deliver remarks. Robin Latimer will be the vocalist. Rye American Legion Post 128 is sponsoring a luncheon for all veterans and their families immediately following the ceremony in the Rye firehouse on Locust Ave.

Read MyRye.com’s veteran coverage.