Vietnam veteran Al Pascarella will serve as the grand marshal in Bradford’s 2019 Memorial Day parade.
The parade is set to begin at 10:15 a.m. on Monday, with line-up to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Davis Street by Tops Friendly Markets. The parade will go down Main Street to Veterans Square for a ceremony. The group will then proceed to the bridge on Mechanic Street for the burial at sea honor.
On Sunday, the day before Memorial Day, the community is also invited to a service at 2 p.m. in Willow Dale Cemetery by the Veterans Monument.
Pascarella served overseas for one year as a specialist in the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV).
“We were just doing our job,” he said of his service.
On Monday, Pascarella will serve the community again, this time to lead Bradford in honoring men and women who did not return from service.
Jim Long, a U.S. Army veteran and the John C. Roche VFW Post 212 chaplain, will be the speaker. The Rev. Ray Gramata will offer an invocation and benediction. Steve Kloss will read General Logan’s order.
Longtime bugler Kevin McMurtrie has retired from his position as Post bugler, but he has found someone to pass the honor of performing “Taps”: Bradford Area High School student Spencer Whittemore.
McMurtrie contacted new Bradford band director Marissa Golden to ask for help “in selecting a trumpet player that would bring honor and dignity to the Memorial Day Service and continue Bradford’s long-time tradition of having ‘live’ music played at this event versus ‘canned’ music,” McMurtrie stated in a letter to Post 212.
Golden chose Whittemore. Not only is Whittemore a musician, he also has an older brother who is serving in the Armed Forces overseas.
Saleh Stavish has been named this year’s Poppy Girl.
On Friday — National Poppy Day — Post 212’s Frances Sherman Auxiliary will visit veterans in nursing home. Members will meet at 10:30 a.m. at the VFW.
Entries will still be accepted through Thursday to take part in Monday’s parade. To get in the line-up, call Val Meacham at 558-2896.
