'Honoring Our Heroes, Past and Present'

Crowds with fold-out chairs will line Monroe Turnpike Sunday to cheer on uniformed military veterans and to see horses from the 2nd Governor's Horse Guard clopping by during the town's annual Memorial Day Parade.

"It should be a great day for everybody," said Vida Stone of the Memorial Day Parade Committee. "We end at the Green."

Just as it was for the past few years, the parade's theme is "Honoring Our Heroes, Past and Present." Stone said the parade committee likes the theme so much its members decided to use it again.

The parade will begin at 2 p.m. with marchers assembling on Elm Street before making their way down Route 111 to the Monroe Town Green.

Police officers will close off a section of Route 111 for the parade, which drivers should expect to last until about 3:15 or 3:30 p.m., according to Stone.

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Marching with the veterans and horse guard will be elected officials, a Parks & Recreation Character Float with familiar faces like Elmo, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, the Masuk High School Band, the Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service, volunteers from the town's three fire companies — Monroe, Stepney and Stevenson, and students from Monroe's schools.

A pdf. file of the complete Line of March is included with this story.

Those who want to march in the parade should call Vida Stone at the First Selectman's Office at (203)452-2821 or email her at vstone@monroect.org.

State Rep. DebraLee Hovey (R-112) and First Selectman Steve Vavrek will speak during the ceremony in front of the war memorial on the green. The Rev. Kurt Huber of St. Peter's Episcopal Church will give the Invocation and the Benediction.

L. David York is this year's Master of Ceremonies and Jerry Rookasin is the Honorary Chairman of the event.

Masuk High School junior, Andrew Salzano, will sing "The Star Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful". And his performance will be followed by the playing of "Taps".

Stone mentioned one safety measure for marchers.

"Candy should be thrown into the crowd," she said, because children tend to run out into the path of the parade to pick up pieces off the road.

The thrown candy also scares the horses. In fact, Stone said a horse was injured one year.

Stone said, "Keep in mind that this is a day for our veterans and their dedication to fighting for our freedom."