Hundreds expected for Valley Stream parade

In this nation’s history, many people have laid down their lives in order for others to live freely. Memorial Day is a time for those free people to remember the servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives while fighting for their country.

There are many men and women from Valley Stream who made the ultimate sacrifice and will be remembered on Monday during the 92nd annual Memorial Day Parade. Hundreds of people are expected to come out, wave their American Flags and enjoy the parade.

Marty Kielawa, of American Legion Post No. 845 and assistant parade chairman, said he purchased thousands of American Flags to hand out during the parade, which is something he is very much looking forward to.

“The neatest thing is when I stand there and watch all the flags, it’s really cool,” Kielawa said. “When I drive ahead of the parade when it first starts, you get a rush.”

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1790 Commander Joe Marando will serve as the parade’s chairman. He served in the Marine Corps for three years and was stationed in Korea for 13 months during the early 1950s.

“It’s a special day because we not only honor members that passed away,” Marando said of Memorial Day, “but also the men who sacrificed their lives for their country.”

The parade, which will take place rain or shine, will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the corner of Rockaway Parkway and Wheeler Avenue. It will then continue down Rockaway Avenue through the downtown business district to Valley Stream Boulevard and end at the Village Green.

Kielawa, an Army veteran who was stationed in Vietnam for one year, has been a part of the American Legion for the last 32 years. He can remember playing in the District 30 marching band and participating in the parade as a fourth, fifth and sixth grader. “I’ve been involved with this thing for almost 50 years,” Kielawa said of the parade. He added that he is looking forward to seeing Central High School’s marching band because he marched in it years ago as well.

Marando has been an active member of the VFW since 1958 and served as commander nine times. Over the years, Marando said, attendance at the parade has decreased.