PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – Under the direction of the American Legion Ray Goding Post 88 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2599, the Star City’s annual Memorial Day parade will be held Monday, May 28 at 10 a.m.
According to Burns Weeks of American Legion Post 88, the parade will form on the back street of the University of Maine at Presque Isle campus at 9 a.m. A memorial service will also be held at 9 a.m. at the Fairmount Cemetery on the Houlton Road.
“We’ll have a small ceremony – a salute to the veterans – at the Civil War monument at the cemetery,” said Weeks. “The American Legion, VFW and the Purple Heart organizations will take part.
“Lineup for the parade will begin at 9 a.m. at the south entrance of UMPI,” he said, “and the parade will step off at 10 a.m. We’ll travel north on Main Street with a stop at the Park Street Bridge for a service honoring the Naval veterans where we throw a wreath in the stream, and then the parade will proceed to the Veteran’s Memorial Park on Main Street where we’ll have another ceremony honoring deceased veterans.”
The order of parade lineup is as follows:
• City police, State Police and Sheriff’s Department;
• Color Guard;
• Firing Squad;
• Maine Army National Guard (marching unit);
• Grand Marshall, Acting Chaplin and bugler;
• Commanders of the VFW, American Legion, DAV, Vietnam Veterans;
• Masses Colors (all units listed above);
• Veterans’ floats and cars;
• Auxiliary;
• Knights of Columbus;
• Presque Isle High School band;
• Knights of Columbus float;
• Maine Army National Guard (motorized units);
• Presque Isle Fire Department Auxiliary;
• Presque Isle Fire Department;
• Young Marines;
• North Star Search and Rescue;
• Girl Scout, Brownies, Junior troops;
• Boy Scout and Cub Scout packs;
• Anah Temple Shrine Indys;
• Presque Isle Fire Department (remote cars); and
• Queens (Miss Presque Isle, Maine Potato Blossom, and others as they arrive).
Anyone wishing to register for the parade should contact Edwin Grass at 762-9301 by May 25.
Weeks said the Memorial Day parade and remembrance ceremonies are a good way for people to “honor our deceased – and living – veterans.”
The parade will be cancelled if there is a heavy downpour; however, if there’s only light rain or showers, the Memorial Day events will go on as scheduled.
In nearby Mapleton, the Lion’s Club will once again host its annual Memorial Day parade starting at 2 p.m.
According to Steve Hanning, vice president of the Mapleton Lion’s Club, participants will line up on the Dudley Road.
“We’ll come down Main Street and end at the elementary school,” said Hanning. “We’ve been averaging between 50 and 60 parade entries. That number’s gone down … we used to have over 100 entries.
“Following the parade, the Mapleton Lion’s Club, with the assistance of local veterans organizations, will honor all who served in our nation’s armed forces,” he said. “The special remembrance ceremony will occur for those who sacrificed all to preserve this nation and our freedom. All veterans are welcome to attend this special recognition.”
The ceremony will be held at the memorial site in front of the elementary school.
Hanning said anyone wishing to participate in the parade can either call him at 764-5170 or just meet at the Dudley Road.
