By NANCY HILER
The parade will begin and end with memorial services for those who have died during military service.
The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the Veterans Monument on Petit Avenue, then head north on Bedford Avenue to Oak Street, turn east to Bellmore Avenue and continue north to Newbridge Road, turning south onto the Newbridge Road School grounds to the Veteran's Monument, where a wreath-laying ceremony will be held.
This year's grand marshal will be Lt. Colonel Dwight Webster, a long-time member of North Bellmore American Legion Post 1749 who just returned from Iraq. Before that, he served in Afghanistan.
This is the third straight year that North Bellmore and Bellmore community groups are holding a joint parade. Before that, veterans groups from the two communities sponsored separate parades, which often divided onlookers, including parents who had children marching in both.
Local veterans groups, including the North Bellmore and the Bellmore American Legion posts, the Vietnam War Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores are sponsoring the parade. All of the groups will be represented in the procession. Other participants will include the Mepham High School band, three blended bands made up of students from the six North Bellmore elementary schools, both Bellmore and North Bellmore fire departments, the Ford Model A and Bellmore Corvette clubs, and a number of Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops.
"We invite everyone throughout our community to come out and show support for our veterans," Colon said.
