Marching for Memorial Day — Parades in Greenwich

Scores of Greenwich residents will pay their respects this weekend to all those who have served our nation.

There are several ceremonies and parades scheduled from Byram and Glenville to Old Greenwich. First Selectman Peter Tesei said at the May 22 selectmen's meeting, "There are many opportunities to salute and respect the men and women who served."

It all starts Friday evening at 6:45 on the Mianus River Bridge in Cos Cob. According to Greenwich Selectman Dave Theis, the Cos Cob Volunteer Fire Department will continue their annual tradition of installing 13 large American flags on the bridge railing. It's the fourth year the department has done this.

There are two parades Sunday, May 25. The Byram Veterans Association parade will step off at 2 p.m. from the vets club at 300 Delavan Ave. The parade will march to the Byram Library where a ceremony will be held and then head back to the club where refreshments will be served.

Glenville Ninth District Veterans Association and the Glenville Volunteer Fire Company will hold their annual Memorial Day parade at 5 p.m. Sunday. It begins at Walker Court, continues left onto Glenville Street, right onto Glenville Road and then right onto Pemberwick Road. A ceremony will be held at a veterans monument next to the Glenville fire station. Glenville native U.S. Navy Capt. Mark Turner who is the director of International Programs at the US Naval War College in Newport, RI will be the guest speaker.

For more information, call the Glenville Volunteer Fire Company at (203) 532-9606.

On Monday morning, the Byram Veterans Association will hold a service at the memorial at the former Byram School on Vinci Drive, at 8 o'clock. Also at 8 a.m. Monday, the Indian Harbor Yacht Club on Steamboat Road will hold its annual wreath ceremony at the club docks.

The annual Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Department Memorial Day parade along Sound Beach Avenue will kick off at 10 a.m. Memorial Day, May 26. The parade will end with a ceremony at Binney Park where Old Greenwich native Lt. Charles Baker, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate now stationed in San Diego, will be the guest speaker, according to Theis. 

At noon Memorial Day, there will be a ceremony at the recently-installed veterans memorial at the Hamilton Avenue School.

And if ceremonies and parades aren't the way you prefer to salute veterans, take a stroll down Greenwich Avenue where the town's War Memorial was cleaned in time for the holiday.

The Greenwich Police Silver Shield Association arranged with Greenwich native and businessman Jim Jagodzinski, owner of Fairfield County Safe Wash, to clean the memorial that tributes fallen soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen from World War II, The Korean War and The Vietnam War. Jagodzinski donated his services for the May 21 cleaning that was followed by the raising of a new flag by the Greenwich Police Department honor guard.

And as a reminder, Gov. Dannel Malloy has ordered that all U.S. and state flags be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon Memorial Day.