Retired Sgt. Major of the Army Ray Chandler will be the grand marshal at the City of Orlando Veterans Day Parade this Saturday.

The grand marshal is considered by some to be a parade's highest honor, so when Chandler found out he was chosen this year, he couldn't believe it.

"Well, I was flabbergasted, because it's really the last thing you're gonna be asked to do is be the grand marshal of anything," Chandler, of Orlando, said.

The parade begins at 11 a.m. in downtown Orlando, and this year's focus, “Healing the Invisible Wounds of War,” will shed light on post-traumatic stress disorder.

Chandler knows about PTSD awareness all too well. Something happened to him during his tour of duty in Iraq on June 30, 2004.

"A rocket came in to my room and blew up, and I got knocked around a little bit and banged my head on the wall," he said.

Chandler never forgot it and the symptoms of PTSD soon set in.

"Did a lot of things, started drinking, started doing some other poor choices as far as activities are concerned," he added.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2016, eight out of every 100 people will have PTSD at some point of their lives.

Chandler has some important advice.

"I think the first thing I would say if someone around you, or people around you, are saying that something's different about you, that should be the first indicator that maybe you need some help," he said.

He considers himself a better person, father and boyfriend since getting help.

The parade begins on Orange Avenue at Robinson Street. It stretches down Central Boulevard and then makes it way down Rosalind Avenue ending at Robinson Street.

You can watch the City of Orlando Veterans Day Parade as it happens on Spectrum News 13 starting at 10:30 a.m. or you can watch a live stream of it here.

City of Orlando Veterans Day parade route