Patriotic Tributes Planned Locally
Generations of soldiers who fought and died in defense of the nation will be honored and celebrated at a number of Memorial Day parades and ceremonies being held around the Times Newsweekly in the days ahead.
All are invited and encouraged to attend tributes to the fallen organized by local veterans groups and community organizations. Crowds gathering at the parade routes can expect to see marching bands, community and youth groups, elected officials and classic vehicles.
The Memorial Day events, sched- uled to take place, rain or shine, include the following (listed by neighborhood):
Ridgewood/Glendale
This year’sMemorial Day Parade along Myrtle Avenue in Ridgewood and Glendale-scheduled to take place this Monday morning, May 27-figures to be extra special, as it marks the 75th anniversary of the joint march first held in 1938.
As previously reported, the parade- organized by theAllied Veterans Memorial Committee of Ridgewood and Glendale-will step off at 11 a.m. Monday at the Glendale Memorial Triangle, located at the corner of Myrtle and Cooper avenues. The beginning of the march will be preceded by a brief memorial ceremony at the triangle, where a monument bears the names of neighborhood residents who fought and died in past wars.
From there, the participants in the march will head west along Myrtle Avenue to the Ridgewood Memorial Triangle, located at the corner of Myrtle and Cypress avenues. The parade will conclude at the Ridgewood Triangle with a brief memorial ceremony.
Mervin Paugh, long-time member of the Joseph Garity American Legion Post 562 and a Korean War veteran, has the honor of serving as the parade’s grand marshal.
Police and the 104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol (104COP) will line the parade route, which will be cleaned by crews working on behalf of the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District.
For additional information on the parade, contact Paul Schottenhamel of the Allied Veterans committee by calling 1-718-366-1359.
Maspeth
Supporting America’s troops “now and forever” is the theme of the Maspeth Memorial Day Parade, which will take place this Sunday afternoon, May 26.
Organized by the United Veterans and Fraternal Organizations of Maspeth (UVFOM), the parade will begin at 1 p.m. at Walter A. Garlinge Memorial Park, located at the corner of Grand Avenue and 72nd Street.
Led by a color guard and two grand marshals-long-time Maspeth residents and activists Joseph Papavero and MaryAnna Zero- marchers will head west on Grand Avenue before turning west onto MaspethAvenue for a block. The parade will the turn north on 61st Street, then east on Perry Avenue to Borden Avenue.
From there, the march will turn east onto Borden Avenue, then back onto Grand Avenue to the parade’s concluding point, the Francis Cardinal Spellman Knights of Columbus Post on Grand Avenue off 69th Lane.
Following the parade, the UVFOM will hold a memorial ceremony at 2 p.m. at Maspeth Memorial Park, located at the corner of 69th Street and GrandAvenue, adjacent to Maspeth Federal Savings Bank. During the ceremony, the committee will honor a pair of local veterans- Donald Steinmaker and Joseph Romano-for their previous military service and community contributions.
Additional information on the Maspeth parade can be found online at www.maspethfederal.com.
Middle Village
Middle Village residents will honor the sacrifices of soldiers past and present in a spiritual and solemn way this Memorial Day Monday at events sponsored by the St. Margaret’s Catholic War Veterans Post 1172.
Post members invite the public to gather with them for a special Memorial Mass at St. Margaret Church, located at the corner of Juniper Valley Road and 80th Street, at 9:30 a.m. Monday.
Following the Mass, members of the post will then convene at the Middle Village Veterans Triangle, located at the corner of Gray and 77th streets off 66th Road, for an 11 a.m. ceremony. Among the tributes to be offered include the laying of a wreath, a military salute and the playing of “Taps.”
Forest Hills
The Stars And Stripes will wave prominently during the Forest Hills Memorial Day Parade along Metropolitan Avenue this Sunday afternoon.
Organized by the American Legion Continental Post 1424, the parade steps off at noon on Sunday in front of their quarters located at 107- 15 Metropolitan Ave., just east of Ascan Avenue. Former State Sen. Serphin Maltese, a Korean War veteran, will serve as the parade’s grand marshal.
Marchers will then walk west along Metropolitan Avenue through the neighborhood shopping strip to Trotting Course Lane. The parade will then turn north onto Trotting Course Lane to Remsen Cemetery Park, located at the corner of Trotting Course Lane and Alderton Street.
A memorial ceremony will be held at the park to conclude the parade.
Woodhaven residents will honor those who gave their lives for the country with two memorial ceremonies, the first of which will take place tonight (Thursday), May 23.
Sponsored by the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation, tonight’s memorial ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. at Forest Parkway
Plaza, located at the corner of Jamaica Avenue and Forest Parkway.
Traditionally, the ceremony includes the laying of a wreath and recital of patriotic songs and poems.
On Memorial Day Monday, Woodhaven residents will gather at 10:30 a.m. at the American Legion Post 118 “Garden of Remembrance,” located at the corner of 89th Avenue and 91st Street. The garden contains hundreds of crosses and Stars of David honoring local residents who died in service to the country.
Woodside
Memorial Day commemorations in Woodside will kick off tonight (Thursday) with a concert at Windmuller Park and conclude on Monday with the community’s annual Memorial Day Parade.
Tonight’s concert, organized by Woodside on the Move, will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Windmuller Park Bandshell, located off the intersection of 52nd Street and 39th Drive.
All are invited to participate in the concert, which is dedicated to “the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, as well as veterans and active troops of the Armed Forces and members of first responder agencies,” as noted in a Woodside on the Move press release.
The concert will also celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Doughboy Statue, dedicated to the soldiers who lost their lives during World War I. Also included is the dedication of the Garden of Heroes, which was created near the statue with the help of community volunteers.
The feature act will be the U.S.O. Show Troupe. City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, a sponsor of the event, will serve as master of ceremonies.
Woodside’s Memorial Day Parade, sponsored by the St. Sebastian’s Catholic War Veterans Post 870, will be preceded by a Memorial Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Sebastian’s Church, located at the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 58th Street. Following the Mass, the parade will begin at 11 a.m. with a ceremony at the Woodside Vietnam Veterans Memorial, located at the corner of 57th Street and Woodside Avenue.
The ceremony will include the laying of a wreath and the firing of a military salute. Afterward, the march will wind its way through Woodside, stopping in front of Post 870’s headquarters on 61st Street off Roosevelt Avenue and the Woodside war memorial at the corner of Roosevelt and Woodside avenues.
Marchers will then head west onto Woodside Avenue to the Doughboy Monument, located off the corner of Woodside Avenue and 56th Street.
