Love a parade? Plans set in county

Chester County municipalities are preparing for the holiday and have announced plans for marking Memorial Day.

Avon Grove

Parade Chairman John Ruffini said the annual Avon Grove Memorial Day Parade will be on Saturday, May 28. It will begin at 9 a.m. at Avon Grove High School, march down State Road to Prospect Avenue and arrive in the middle of town. The parade will include the Avon Grove High School band and band front as well as fire trucks and floats.

After all the marchers and guests have turned right onto Evergreen Street, all the others in the parade will be directed to turn left onto Evergreen Park.

There will be a memorial service and wreath laying at Memorial Park and then a lunch at the West Grove Presbyterian Church at 10:30 a.m. This year’s speaker is Gold Star Mother Jill Hardy whose son Brandon died in 2006 when an IED exploded.

Kennett Square

Parade Chairman Bill Taylor has announced that the parade will start at 10 a.m. on Memorial Day, May 30, march up Union Street from the high school to Cypress, turn right on Cypress to Broad, then left on State and out to the cemetery on Union. There will be about 100 units in this year’s parade, including many local veterans riding in convertibles and antique vehicles. Bands and military units will come from Delaware Military Academy, Glasgow High

School ROTC, Coatesville Area High School, fife and drum corps, cavalry horses and more.

The civilian units expected include the Ferko String Band, local high school bands, the Dixie Demons and steam powered calliope. There will also we blue grass bands, scouts, Little League teams, fire companies and local businesses.

At the conclusion of the parade there will be a Memorial Day ceremony at Union Hill Cemetery. A luncheon will be given at the American Legion Hall for veterans and families who have participated in the parade.

The World War II Grand Marshals are the following:

Ralph Doss, who enlisted in the Navy in 1943 and served on the USS Sigourney and the USS Duluth in the Pacific. He earned ribbons for the Pacific Theater, the American Theater and World War II Medal.

Anthony L. DiFabio, who enlisted in the Army in 1943. He served in New Guinea, Luzon, Philippines and Okinawa and helped disarm Japanese soldiers.

Raymond J. Natale Sr., who entered the Army in 1944. He served in England, France and Belgium. He invaded Germany with his field artillery battalion.

Horace Brown, deceased, who enlisted in the Army in 1943. He was deployed to New Guinea, Yokohama and the Philippines. He served as an assistant machine gunner under General Douglas MacArthur. will start marching up Third Street to the cemetery at 10 a.m. Participants will include the Oxford High School and Penn’s Grove bands, veterans in convertibles and a bus, fire trucks and other dignitaries. Veteran Army nurse Ginny Fulton, who is 103, is expected to ride along. At 10:30 a.m. there will be memorial service with a 21-gun salute in the cemetery. the men and women of the armed forces who lost their lives in their service to this country.