Parade set for ‘true’ date

Town holds fast to original tradition

CROMWELL — The hype is over and the sales have passed. Now Cromwell can get on with the business of staging its Memorial Day parade on the true Memorial Day.

Many towns hold their parade on the ersatz “Memorial Day” on the fourth Monday in May as established by Congress in 1968 (and which took effect in 1971).

But Cromwell continues to hold firm to celebrating the holiday May 30.

This evening’s events will be held on the World War I Memorial Town Green across West Street from police headquarters. The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. with a mix of music appropriate to the occasion, comments and addresses by various town and regional officials, and officers of local veterans groups, said Parade Marshal Al Waters.

The observance is held to honor those men and women who died in service to the nation.

America honors its veterans, all those who served in the military, Nov. 11, which was originally observed as Armistice Day to mark the end of the World War I Nov. 11, 1918.

Congress changed the Veterans Day observance to a Monday holiday as well, but pressure from veterans groups caused the day to be reverted to Nov. 11.

The guest speaker for the evening’s ceremony is Cromwell native and retired Special Forces soldier Master Sgt. Cliff Pierson. A graduate of Xavier High School, where he earned varsity letters in both football and baseball, Pierson joined the Army in 1973.

Originally trained as a paratrooper, Pierson qualified to serve in the Special Forces and deployed with his team to Germany, New Zealand and Hawaii. During the course of his career, he attended Airborne, Air Mobile, Ranger and Pathfinder schools. Upon his retirement, Pierson returned to Cromwell where he lives with his wife Ginny, son Josh and daughter-in-law Shania.

He currently works for Aetna, and is a past post

commander of the American Legion Post 105.

This year’s parade grand marshal is former Fire Chief Don Swanson and the honorary parade marshal is Sue Schein.

Once the ceremony is completed, the annual Memorial Day parade steps off from West Street and heads north up Main Street. It includes military units, a plethora of fire trucks, school groups, scouting units, and sundry other units, including the Patriot Guard Riders, Waters said.

Police Chief Denise Lamontagne issued an advisory to residents to expect

“at the very least traffic delays,” and closed roads during the ceremony and parade.

Once the parade leaves West Street, it will travel north on Main Street to New Lane, where it will turn west and traverse New Lane until it arrives back at West Street. There, it will turn left and proceed south on West Street past St. Mary Church and Town Hall before arriving back at Memorial Green.

Lamontagne asked residents to anticipate the occasional delay and follow police officers’ commands.

File photo Cromwell celebrates Memorial Day Wednesday with a parade down Main Street. The event follows the 6 p.m. program on the World War I Memorial Town Green in front of the police department.