| MAY 27, 2013 -- A bevy of floats, marchers and music bands took to the streets of Colchester on Sunday for the town’s annual Memorial Day parade.
The parade’s theme changes each year, and for 2013, it was the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended hostilities between North Korea and the United States.
The grand marshal was Reginald Corey, who joined the Armed Forces during World War II and served in the Korean War.
“From my vantage point, I thought it was pretty good,” Corey said of the parade. “Nicely done.”
Floats carrying veterans, members of civic groups such as the Lions Club, and community organizations like the Colchester Community Theatre passed the review stand, where Corey joined state and local officials.
The day was extra special for Sean O’Leary. O’Leary’s son, Matt, is in Texas. He just returned from a seven-month tour in Afghanistan.
“He should be coming home within the next week,” O’Leary said.
The ceremony on the veterans green included a reading of the names of all the Colchester servicemen who died in conflicts from the Civil War to Iraq. The Colchester Antique Veterans performed a rifle salute, and taps was played during a flag-raising.
Local Girl Scouts joined Colchester veterans to place wreaths at the town’s war memorials.
Dan Henderson, who served for a year in Afghanistan and whose fiancée, Emily Hein, is serving there now, said the day is a chance to show appreciation for those who served and those who continue to serve.
“We make sure to set aside an appropriate amount of time to remember those who lost their lives to protect the freedoms that we enjoy,” he said. “Colchester is second to none. We’re supported by a community that cares about our veterans.”
Rain fell for several minutes toward the ceremony’s end, when parade winners were announced.
Best marching unit was Boy Scout Troop 109, the judges said, with an honorable mention to the Colchester Fife and Drum Corps. The Colchester Grange won most original themed float.
Also Sunday, the Colchester Lions Club held a breakfast and lunch on the Town Green.
The parade is organized by a 16-member volunteer committee, and sponsored by the town, the Donald A. Bigelow American Legion Post 54, Adler-Boluck Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6990 and Sons of the American Legion Squad 54. |
