A New York Army National Guard regiment with deep ties to Irish-American history once again took the lead in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

For the 173rd year in a row, soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment — the “Fighting 69th” — marched at the head of Saturday’s parade, one of the world’s largest Irish heritage festivities.

The holiday commemorates Ireland’s patron saint and was popularized largely by Irish Catholic immigrants. While St. Patrick’s Day falls on March 17, some parades were moved up from Sunday, a day of worship for the Christian faithful.

This year marks the return of the 800-soldier battalion to the front lines of the parade, following their deployment to the Horn of Africa last year.

The regiment formed in 1849 as a New York state militia made up of Irish immigrants. Two years later, amidst anti-Irish Catholic sentiment, they were asked to lead the parade and fend off any attackers.

“Traditions like these are fading out of our society,” Lt. Col. Adam Bojarski, the batallion’s senior leader said. “It’s so important that units like the 69th continue to be the face of the Army National Guard and the National Guard as a whole.”

The day began with an Irish whiskey toast at 6 a.m. at the historic Lexington Avenue Armory. Soldiers adorned their uniforms with sprigs of boxwood to emulate their Irish American predecessors who fought at the Battle of Fredericksburg during the Civil War, while officers of the unit received blackthorn fighting sticks, considered “the mark of an Irish leader and gentleman,” according to a New York National Guard news release.

Before dawn, they marched in formation to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, where they attended a mass to remember the regiment’s fallen and to honor its heritage. Then the parade began in earnest.

“In the moment, singing, just walking with everyone … it didn’t feel long at all,” said Pfc. Danyel Rodriguez, a computer and detection systems repairer assigned to the 69th’s logistics unit, Hotel Company, 427th Brigade Support Battalion. “Being around so many people, just singing along with everyone, it felt really nice. You just lose track of time, having a good time.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

National Guard