Who should carry the American flag in a parade — veterans only, or can civilians?

Thank you for writing. I apologize for the delay. I was on vacation for a week and since back have been behind on e mail.

I went to The Flag Code and did a search using the term "parade". I find no reference in the code describing the situation you describe. What you've been told does sound logical. However, the code is simply silent on this matter as it is on many matters. The Flag Code is the one meant to apply to civilian use. In short, I see no protocol spelling out this situation. The several branches of the armed forces each have their own flag regulations that apply to their own military settings but these can differ with each other and do not apply to civilians.