All You Need to Know About Naugatuck's Memorial Day Parade

Naugatuck's 2013 Memorial Day parade will be held on Monday, May 27 at 9:15 a.m.

John DeBisschop, Chairman of the Naugatuck Veterans Council, asked all parade units will assemble on North Main Street in Union City at 8:45 a.m.  The parade will step off at 9:15 a.m.

World War II Air Force veteran Warrant Officer Ernest C. Stewart will be the parade’s Grand Marshal. Marquis Bernard-Alexis de Menars, from Paris, France, will represent the French Government at the ceremonies. The Canadian Armed Forces will again be represented by Retired Canadian Army Major Robert Burns, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The 142 Medical Company, Connecticut National Guard, will lead the parade’s military contingents.  Joining them will be The Second Company, Governor’s Foot Guard as well as elements of the 98th Second Battalion and the 325th Military Intelligence Battalion, and elements of two re-enactment groups: The 2nd Connecticut Volunteer Heavy Artillery Regiment (Union) and The First Maryland Infantry Regiment (Confederate).

The parade will also feature an M-551 Sheridan tank that saw extensive combat action during the Vietnam War. Mr. Stewart served in World War II as a nose-gunner on a B-24 heavy bomber during the Pacific campaign while assigned to the 408 Bomb Squadron of the 22nd Bomb Group.  On one mission, while furiously battling a swarm of attacking Japanese fighter planes during his plane’s bombing mission over the enemy-held island of Formosa, his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire.  Two engines were badly damaged.  Crippled, rapidly losing altitude and unable to return to the unit’s home base at Clark Field, the Philippines, his plane was ditched in the Pacific.  A U.S. Navy rescue boat out-raced the Japanese to save the downed crew and return them to Clark. Mr. Stewart was later awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and holds four Air Medals.

Marching units in Divisions 1 through 4 will assemble at 8:45 a.m. on North Main, in the vicinity of Union and Woodbine Streets, Union City.  Division 5, (the Middle-School Age Youth Athletic Groups) and Division 6 (Elementary-School-Age Youth Athletic Groups) will assemble at 8:45 a.m. in the parking area behind St. Mary’s church, North Main Street, Union City.  Also assembling in the St. Mary’s Church parking lot will be ALL karate groups and dance groups. Divisions 5 and 6 will join the parade as it passes the parking area.

Mr. DeBisschop today urged all veteran, civic and fraternal organizations in town to participate in what he said would be one of the nation’s largest Memorial Day parades. He asked that all parade units carry signs or banners identifying their organizations.

Additional parade information may be obtained by calling Mrs. Kathleen Doback at 203-729-3100.