By Jeff Lipton
All areas of the Five Towns will be covered with the traditional three parades in Inwood, Lawrence-Cedarhurst and Hewlett-Woodmere, and Atlantic Beach will conduct a solemn memorial service as well. Parade organizers said it's extremely important for residents to attend these ceremonies to honor those troops who gave their lives in combat so that America can remain free, especially in light of the on-going war on terrorism and the war in Iraq.
Inwood will kick-off the weekend with a parade on Sunday, May 29, beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the John J. Oliveri Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1582, at 259 Doughty Blvd. Participants will be given free hot dogs and sodas after the parade.
The parade will start at Doughty and wind its way down to Jeanette Avenue and then move to Bayview Avenue and back to Doughty Boulevard, ending up at the VFW Hall, where a memorial service will be conducted at the veterans' monument. The main sponsors of the parade are the VFW, Inwood Fire Department, American Legion, Inwood Buccaneers Athletic Club and the Leonardo DaVinci Sons of Italy Lodge 2385.
The Lawrence High School band will perform along the parade route, as well as the band from the Meadowmere Park Fire Department, and the Boy Scouts of America will join the march.
"It's usually a big turnout," said Frank DeCicco, president of the Inwood Buccaneers and Sons of Italy. "There's a lot of flag-waving and a lot of people are out there to watch. It's a great affair."
The following day, on Monday, May 30, the Atlantic Beach Rescue Squad will hold a memorial service at 9 a.m. at its new headquarters, at 1 Rescue Rd.
A half-hour later, at 9:30 a.m., the Lawrence-Cedarhurst parade will begin at the Lawrence train station, where a memorial service will be held. The services will be conducted by the Rev. Paul Rahilly, pastor of St. Joachim's R.C. Church in Cedarhurst, and Rabbi Kenneth Hain, spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence, with participation by Rabbi Paula Winnig of Temple Sinai of Long Island in Lawrence and Rev. Elisabeth Aurand of Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in Cedarhurst.
After the services, participants in the parade will march about a half-mile east on Central Avenue, turn left on Cedarhurst Avenue and proceed to Cedarhurst Park Veterans' Memorial, where a service will be held "in memory of our fallen comrades of both past and present military service, as well as current military personnel," said Peter Lustig of the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Parade Committee 2005.
Participating will be Lawrence-Cedarhurst American Legion 339, Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department, Lawrence High School marching band and local boys and girls scouts. At the conclusion of the memorial services, kosher refreshments will be served.
The final parade, the one in Hewlett-Woodmere, will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, on Sheridan Avenue in front of the Fourth Precinct stationhouse, where a memorial service will be held. The parade route will take participants down Broadway to Neptune Avenue in Woodmere and then to Conklin Avenue, where a second memorial service will be held at the veterans' monument. The main sponsors of the parade are the Hewlett and Woodmere fire departments, with the assistance of the Hewlett Business Association and the Woodmere Merchants Association. The Hewlett-Woodmere Little League will be one of the groups that will march, along with a host of other groups and organizations.
"It's important to support the veterans, especially for what they do for this country," said Woodmere Fire Chief George Laakso.
Comments about this story? Jlipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 204.
