One of the biggest and proudest parades in Staten Island has always been the Memorial Day parade. This year it celebrated it’s 104th annual birthday and stands as one of the City’s best traditions. Of course there are other local parades around town but this one stands out as the best to attend. The locals all come out in patriotic attire and lots of “thank you” can be heard up and down the parade route on Forest Ave. As usual, the mounted police let the crowd know the parade was set to kick off at noon. The start of the parade had the Rolling Thunder motorcycle club give a loud entrance to what would be a festive day. This years Grand Marshal was Sgt. Michael Sulsona, a Marine and Purple Heart recipient for his bravery and being wounded during the Vietnam War.
This year, there was a return visit from an actual cannon used at the Battle at Gettysburg during the Civil War. The group CAR, Children of American Revolution, sent a group of representatives to the parade to help reflect the ties to the past and eternal hope for our future. Most of the local High Schools sent their marching bands to perform patriotic tunes. US Senator from NY Kirsten Gillibrand walked along members of the navy sent to greet the crowd. I’m sure some of them were visiting NYC as part of Fleet Week which occurs every Memorial Day weekend. One of the best things about this parade is collection of Cadillacs and Corvettes that make it down to the parade. Some of them are truly classic. All in all, it was a festive event but also a time to remember those loved ones that passed while defending our freedom. We will never forget.
NYC Parade Life 