Retired Army Gen. Larry Ellis to lead Baltimore City Veterans Day Parade

Retired Army General Larry Ellis will be the Grand Marshal of this weekend's Baltimore City Veterans Day Parade.

Ellis is a native of Cambridge, Maryland, and was the first African-American four-star general to have graduated from Morgan State University.

The parade begins at noon on Saturday, Nov. 8, from the Washington Monument in Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood. WJZ is the proud media sponsor and will stream the parade live here.

Journey started at Morgan State

With well over three decades of experience in the military, Ellis's impact stretches far beyond the front lines. 

"My journey, my veteran journey, started at Morgan State University in Baltimore," Ellis told WJZ.

Ellis was born in Maryland, but now he lives in Atlanta. He graduated from Morgan State, one of the only places he said he could attend.

"You gotta put this in a perspective, from 1964, the year that i started, and basically, the only place i could go was a Historical Black College and University (HBCU)."

Ellis joined the ROTC program at Morgan State, and that's where he met his wife, Jean.

"When i went to Morgan, the other opportunities in Maryland were not there," Ellis said.

A distinguished military career 

Ellis still beat the odds.

He was recognized as a distinguished military graduate in 1968. His commission as an infantry officer marked the beginning of a long and well decorated military career.

"I'm very proud of that, and what that does in terms of paving the way for younger generations," Ellis said.

Ellis quickly advanced, leading a platoon in Vietnam by the end of 1969, while rising in rank.

"I did serve as a lieutenant in Vietnam and a company commander in Vietnam in the famed 101st Airborne Division," Ellis said.

Over the course of his career in the U.S. Army, Ellis held leadership roles at every level across the globe, including South Korea, Europe, and even in the classroom.

"So the Army sent me to Indiana to get a master's degree, to go to West Point, the United States Military Academy, to teach," Ellis said.

Ellis's career took him as far as commanding General of the U.S. Army Forces Command. 

"It has responsibility for all of the Army forces in the Continental United States, except for training and special operations," Ellis said. 

Ellis's historic promotion

Ellis spent lots of time working at the Pentagon, even overseeing Army operations during the September 11 attacks.

"Some days weren't as good as others, but, like in combat, in Vietnam, in combat in the Balkans, but, they were all good days," Ellis said. "When I measured the totality of the experience, it was all good." 

In 2001, Ellis was promoted to the rank of four-star general, becoming the fourth African-American in the history of the U.S. Army to achieve this distinction. 

However, he said his biggest accomplishment is being a lifelong advocate for veterans and for those still serving in the military.

"This is a military family that I'm in, and I'm proud of my service, and the service of our veterans," Ellis said.