City prepares for annual Memorial Day Parade

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The City of Long Beach will pay tribute to the fallen veterans of the country’s armed forces with its annual Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 28.

The parade begins at Ohio Avenue and West Beech Street at 10 a.m. and ends at the reviewing stand on Park Avenue in front of City Hall. The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars will be joined by city, county and state officials, including State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, Assemblywoman Melissa Miller, County Legislator Ford and City Council President Anthony Eramo.

The annual events draws hundreds each year, and this year’s grand marshal will be “all the young veterans from the Gulf War to today,” VFW Commander Dan McPhee said. The group of about 50 veterans will don their ribbons, lead the parade and march alongside members of the Long Beach VFW Post 1384, the American Legion, Sisters in Arms and other organizations.

The Fire Department, the Police Department, the Ancient Order of the Hibernians Division 17, the Long Beach Lions Club, the Long Beach lifeguards, the Boy Scouts, the Civil Service Employees Association, the Long Beach Auxiliary Police and the Police Benevolent Association will also march down West Beech Street and Park Avenue, among other groups.

McPhee also said there’s no longer a separate VFW group for women, because it merged with the existing one.

“Now it’s the largest VFW Auxiliary in Nassau County — we’re 98 members strong,” McPhee said.

There will be a 1 p.m. salute to all fallen veterans at the One Purple Heart Way monument across from the VFW, McPhee said, located at 675 W. Park Ave.