The annual Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony, sponsored by the Floral Park American Legion with the cooperation of the Incorporated Village of Floral Park will be held on Monday, May 30.
Always a major event in the village, the parade will find participants assembling on Elizabeth Street, where it will step off at 10 a.m. going north on Plainfield Avenue, then west on Jericho Turnpike where Legion members will place a wreath at the memorial near the Hawthorne Avenue firehouse. The parade will then proceed south on South Tyson Avenue then east on Tulip Avenue, where the ceremonies will begin at about 11 a.m.
The parade Grand Marshal is Past Commander Jim Conti, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Germany with NATO during the Berlin Wall Crisis. The guest speaker will be Army Reservist Lieutenant Colonel Stephen J. Ryan, who served in Afghanistan and East Africa and is a Nassau County police officer.
The advancement of colors will be led by Sargeant-at-Arms Ed LaChapelle, followed by the Remembrance of those Missing in Action by Legionnaire Brian Keelan. Father Thomas Fusco, Pastor of Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church, will give the invocation followed by the national anthem by Kasey Williams and the Pledge of Allegiance led by President of the Floral Park American Legion Auxiliary Theresa Whalen.
General Logan’s Order establishing Memorial Day will be read by Past Commander James MacDonald. Post Commander Matthew Cacciatore will recognize the Grand Marshal.
Distinguished guests will be introduced by Past Commander Bill Corbett followed by a musical selection by the Floral Park Memorial High School band led by Lee Duke.
There will be wreath presentations by the American Legion and Auxiliary, the Floral Park Woman’s Club, Floral Park AARP and Floral Park Volunteer Fire Department supervised by Officer of the Day Past Commander Al Trasolini and assisted by local Boy Scouts.
“Taps” will be played by Ryan Casale and Rebecca Davidson from the Floral Park Memorial High School band followed by the Roll Call of Departed Comrades, where the names of Floral Park residents who died in service to the United States will be read by Post Commander Matthew Cacciatore.
Gold Star Mothers, those who lost a child in service to America, will be introduced and presented with memorial flowers by Past Auxiliary President Dolores Johnson assisted by Past Auxiliary Vice President Scotty Beetle.
Floral Park Mayor Thomas Tweedy will present greetings and Past Commander and Memorial Day Chairman James Whalen will introduce the guest speaker followed by the Invocation by U.S. Army veteran Pastor Gainus Sikes of the United Methodist Church of Floral Park.
The flags will then be retired and the ceremonies concluded by everyone singing “God Bless America.”
The Floral Park American Legion invites all veterans to march with them in the parade and wants to thank the Mayor and Floral Park Village Trustees for their cooperation and assistance.
The Floral Park American Legion Post was established in 1919 and promotes good citizenship, law and order, American pride and supports local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. The legion also assists local veterans in need, visits a veterans hospital each month, hosts dinners at the Post for disabled veterans and conducts Flag Day and Veteran’s Day ceremonies each year.
