submitted by Don Bogardus
Memorial Day Rites in the Village of Hoosick Falls will begin with the raising of the American Flag by Walter Zwinge, Commander of American Legion Post #40, on May 30 at the Maple Grove Cemetery, followed by the flag raising at St. Mary’s Cemetery.
At 8 am the flag will be raised at Wood Memorial Park with a salute by the American Legion and the Legion and VFW Auxiliaries.
Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion Auxiliaries, accompanied by the Hoosick Falls High School Band, will assemble at the corner of Main Street and Wilder Avenue at 8:15 am and march to the Shop Bridge to honor men of the Navy who lost their lives at sea. The Legion will fire a volley salute and taps will be sounded by a member of the HFCS Band.
The Parade Committee, with Parade Chairman Don Bogardus, will honor the dead of the Civil War at Monument Park at the junction of Classic and High Streets at 8:45 am.
At 9:15 Veterans from VFW Hoosick Barracks 152, World War Veterans and the American Legion, accompanied by the Auxiliaries, will assemble at the World War I Memorial located in Wood Memorial Park. Wreaths will be placed at the WW I, WW II, Korean and Vietnam War Monuments. The wreaths will be placed at the memorials by the VFW and American Legion Auxiliary President Susan Landry. American Legion Chaplain Joe Ruggiero will offer a prayer.
Parade
A parade consisting of four divisions will assemble at 9:15 am and step off sharply at 10.
The line of march will proceed down John Street and up Church Street to the NYS Armory and Town of Hoosick Community Center where it will pause for a brief tribute to the men and women
who served during WW II. The Line of March will then continue to the intersection of Main Street. At that point, the parade will pause while Pastor Michael Benoit offers a prayer for deceased veterans. The American Legion will fire a volley and taps will be played. The parade will continue down Main Street marching into Wood Memorial Park. All units are asked to march into the Park and to remain assembled while Master of Ceremonies Legionnaire Don Bogardus, followed by Hoosick Town Supervisor Keith Cipperly and Hoosick Falls Mayor Matt Monahan deliver official welcomes. A few words of remembrance will be spoken during the ceremonies by Rensselaer County Legislators Stan Brownell and Lester Goodermote and representatives from the American Legion, VFW and Legion Auxiliaries. Rev. Thomas Zelker, pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church will give the invocation. Principal speaker will be Dennis Flynn, Sergeant of the United States Army, retired.
At the closing of ceremonies the American Legion will fire a volley salute and taps will be sounded, followed by the chimes from St. Mark’s Church playing “America.”
Rev. Benoit, Pastor of the Cornerstone Fellowship Church, will pronounce the Benediction in unity with other Hoosick clergy.
The program will close with the “National Anthem” played by the HFCS Band, under the direction of Robert Allen.
Parade Lineup
The formation of the parade will start at 9:15 am. Inspection will be at 9:45. All participants will form on the right side of Main Street as in the line of march.
First Division (line up by Key Bank)
Police Car, Legion Colors, Grand Marshal, Legion Auxiliary, Veterans, HFCS Band, County, Town and Village officials, Hoosick Area Church Assn., St. Mary’s Academy, Hoosick Falls Fire Dept., Antique Cars, Rescue Squad Vehicle, Uncle Sam’s Chorus.
Second Division (line up by Eddy Place)
Hoosac School, Girl Scouts and Brownies, Tinkham Real Estate, Republican Party, Town of Hoosick, Cheney Library, Trustco Bank, Buskirk Fire Dept.
Third Division (line up by American Legion)
North Hoosick Fire Dept, Hoosick Falls Community Band, Boy Scouts, Mom’s School of Baton, Float, West Hoosick Fire Dept.
Fourth Division (line up starting at Richmond Avenue)
Taconic Pipe Band, Miss Olivia’s British School of Ballet, Masonic float, Polish Hall float, Big Moose Deli, Ice Kreme Kafé, Hill Country Cloggers, Capital Brass Band, unlisted entries. All Americans that wish to participate.
All entries which include horses must form at the end of the line up at 9:50 am. All units will advance to fill empty spaces in the line up.