By Cynthia Koons
Joseph Graziano will serve as grand marshal of the parade, which travels from the field to a service road at the Cross Island Parkway, onto 150th Street and then down 17th Road toward 149th Street, ending at the park where it started.
The parade is one of the oldest in Queens and began in 1919. Last year's was canceled due to inclement weather.
Graziano, who lives in Bayside, was selected to lead the parade in recognition of his years of military service, Singer said.
He was in the Marine Corps after attending St. John's University and became a reservist prior to joining the New York Police Department.
In 1990 Graziano was called back into active duty and spent nine months overseas, Singer said.
After he returned to New York, he worked as a plainclothes police officer until February last year, when he traveled to Iraq to serve seven months there.
He will lead a parade that includes groups such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Jewish War Veterans, the Marine Corps League, the Whitestone Ambulance Corps, the Whitestone Taxpayers Association and Whitestone booster club as well as the neighborhood's Republican and Democratic clubs.
Bands from PS 193 and PS 32 will also march in the parade, Singer said.
Elected officials expected to show up include Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Borough President Helen Marshall, state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose), state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Whitestone), U.S. Rep. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), state Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza (D-Bayside) and Councilmen John Liu (D-Flushing) and Tony Avella (D-Bayside).
Singer said the budget for the parade was around $9,000 and was raised through the efforts of the Jewish War Veterans, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
The parade should last two hours, Singer said. Planning began the day after last year's parade. About 20 people are involved in coordinating the day's events.
Reach reporter Cynthia Koons by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 141.
