New York City Victory Parade of 1946

New York City Victory Parade of 1946 was held in New York City, USA, on January 12, 1946, to celebrate the victorious conclusion of World War II.

The parade was led by 13,000 men of the 82nd Airborne Division (including the African-American 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion (United States) ) under general James M. Gavin. The 82nd was chosen as the All American Division to represent the U.S. Army and the end of World War II. The parade also included Sherman tanks and other armored vehicles, such as self-propelled howitzers, and a fly by of a formation of glider-towing C-47s. The 82nd also participated in the September Berlin Victory Parade of 1945.

In preparation for the New York parade, the division has mustered and trained for it since late 1945 three times a day, after finishing their garrison duty in Berlin. The division arrived in United States on January 3, and continued training for the parade at Camp Shanks.

The parade, beginning at the Washington Square, marching up Fifth Avenue, was reported to be four miles long. It was a ticker tape parade, covered by newsreels of the time. However, the Life (magazine) reported that it was "oddly subdued", and blamed it on the elimination of many military bands by the demilitarization. Government officials witnessing the parade included the New York Governor, Thomas E. Dewey the New York City Mayor, William O'Dwyer, and the former New York City Mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia.

New York was the site of the largest American Victory in Europe Day celebrations. Two months earlier, on 27 October 1945, it also witnessed a naval victory parade.