By: Gary Winkelman | Sterling Heights Sentry | Published May 15, 2026
STERLING HEIGHTS — Two flags are fluttering in the wind outside Manny Gonzales’ house on a Wednesday afternoon in early May.
One is an American flag, the familiar stars and stripes flying high above the front lawn. The other, a U.S. Army flag, with its dominant blue insignia atop a wavy red banner on a pure white background.
The display, much like the man inside the house, is a testament to patriotism and duty. To service and sacrifice. To bravery and unity.
Gonzales, 65, a retired combat medic who also spent a good portion of his civilian career working for the U.S. Army’s Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) is the grand marshal for this year’s Sterling Heights Memorial Day Parade. It’s a recognition he accepts with humility and humor.
“I was totally floored. I was speechless,” Gonzales recalls about reading the letter informing him of his selection. “I had to read it again much slower. It’s like, do they have the right Manny Gonzales here?”
Gonzales signed up for the military during his junior year in high school through a delayed entry program. He entered active duty in 1979 and retired as a sergeant first class in 1995. In between, he spent time in South Korea, Germany, the Sinai Desert in Egypt and elsewhere.
Most notably, perhaps, he participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in the early 1990s. Without going into great detail, he describes the war zone experience as “good and bad.”
“Sometimes you felt like crying because you were that scared,” he says. “I don’t know about anybody else. I’m not John Wayne, I’m just Manny. But other times you felt like laughing because you had your brothers right there with you that were in the same pile of s--- that you were in.”
As part of the 2nd Armored Division, Gonzales and his fellow soldiers traveled in M1A1 Abrams tanks, which were a dominant force during the campaign.
“Because we had the best tank, we were given the best spot at the beginning of the front of the line,” he says. “We moved in what’s called a diamond formation … and we were in the center so that we could go in any direction to render medical aid as required.”
Combat, Gonzales says, is a life-altering experience that’s difficult for civilians to understand.
“We all brought back some devils on our backs that continue to haunt us to this day,” he says. “You see and experience things that, clearly, most people will never have to even think about. … They can see it on TV, but it’s something that they will never comprehend.”
Supporting soldiers and veterans
After retiring from the Army, Gonzales worked in private security and public law enforcement before returning to a military-linked role in 2006.
“The government made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” he says of his career as a logistician for TACOM. “It was great because I got to assist and help with the warfighters. I pushed a lot of paper, but I knew the paper I was pushing was having a direct effect on the warfighter.”
Gonzales says he wore many hats in his job, “But one of my major projects was ensuring that the equipment that we were sending to the soldiers was properly maintainable, sustainable and effective in its purpose. Those were my three primary functions as a logistician,” he says. “So if the equipment I was working on couldn’t achieve those three items, then we had a problem.”
Originally from Illinois, Gonzales arrived in Sterling Heights in 2012 when his job moved from Iowa to TACOM headquarters in Warren. He retired last September and has since become an avid pickleball player — an activity in which he and his wife of nearly 45 years, Maria — have formed many new friendships.
He’s also been a member of the Sterling Heights Beautification Commission for 10 years and is serving his second term on the Macomb County Veterans Services Commission. The commission, among other things, approves financial assistance for local veterans experiencing emergency or hardship situations.
“Manny is eager to help the veterans in Macomb County,” says Laura Rios, the director of the county’s Veterans Services department.
With his Memorial Day spotlight approaching, Gonzales has been practicing his pre-parade remarks daily. Even though he’s an experienced speaker, he admits to some nerves addressing the holiday audience.
His five-minute speech will touch on “the community of veterans” along with his family’s service to the country and thoughts about “everyone being able to express themselves during this moment of remembrance.”
“It’s OK to be human on this day and to cry or laugh,” he says. “To express any feelings that you may have (while) remembering all the sacrifices that were made so that we could have this day.”
Memorial Day has always been a cherished time for Gonzales, one he traditionally marks by planting small American flags throughout his neighborhood and working the parade with fellow Beautification Commission colleagues.
Parade highlights
This year’s Memorial Day activities begin at 9 a.m. Monday, May 25, in the courtyard between City Hall and the police station at 40555 Utica Road. The 2026 theme — “Remember the Past, Honor the Present: 250 Years of America” — is a tribute to the nation’s rich history and the heroes who served it, according to a city news release.
In addition to Gonzales, the ceremony will include remarks from Mayor Michael Taylor, and Arts Commission Chair Barbara Chudzik, along with music by the Motor City Blend Chorus.
Other highlights will include a flyover of authentic Tuskegee Airmen World War II aircraft at approximately 9:30 a.m. and patriotic performances by the 1st Michigan Colonial Fife & Drum Corps. In honor of America’s 250th birthday, a local quilting group will present “Quilts of Valor” to three local veterans as a salute to their service and sacrifice.
The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. from Dodge Park, traveling through the roundabout and south along Dodge Park Road to Heritage Junior High School at Metro Parkway. The parade features floats, veterans, community organizations, marching bands, walkers and specialty units.
“Crowd favorites, the Moslem Shriners, will also return with their lively group of volunteer clowns, cowboys, musicians, motorcyclists and more,” the city’s news release said.
Spectator parking will be available along the parade route, as well as in front of the Sterling Heights Police Department and the Richard J. Notte Civic Center.
“The Sterling Heights Memorial Day ceremony and parade has become one of our community’s most meaningful and well-attended traditions,” said Taylor. “It brings residents together through patriotism and pride and is a special time to remember the brave servicemen and women who gave their lives for our country. While we celebrate their legacy, we also encourage our residents to reflect on their courage, sacrifice and selflessness that continue to inspire us all year.”