VIDEOS: Memorial Day Parade and program set

Great day for the whole family this Sunday

EDITOR’S NOTE: All day Monday, Progressive Charlestown will observe Memorial Day by re-publishing the multi-part series on the history of Charlestown’s Navy Auxiliary Air Field which has become today’s Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge and the town-owned Ninigret Park.

The sixteenth annual Charlestown Memorial Day Parade will step off promptly at 1:00 PM on Sunday, May 25, 2014, heading west along Old Post Road, beginning at Ridgewood Rd., near the South Kingstown line, through the historic village district and ending at King Tom Drive.

The two-division parade, featuring nine bands and more than forty military, youth and community marching units and floats, will be headed up by Grand Marshal Judge Pamela Woodcock Pfeiffer, Presiding Judge of the Veterans Treatment Court. 

Making its first appearance in the Charlestown parade will be the Newport Ancient Order of Hibernians Pipes & Drums Band, awarded Best Marching Band earlier this year at the Yonkers (NY) St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  Returning after several years are the Silver Dolphins, a select color guard and precision rifle drill team from the Naval Submarine School in New London, Connecticut.

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Memorial Observances, honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country, will be conducted during and after the parade.  The parade will halt at the Cross’ Mills Baptist Church cemetery and Cold Brook for brief ceremonies in honor of those who died on land and at sea, respectively.  

At each ceremony, a wreath will be laid, a brief prayer will be offered, the Charlestown Police Honor Guard will fire three volleys, and taps will be sounded.  

Following the parade, a similar ceremony will be conducted at the Charlestown Naval Airfield Memorial at Ninigret Park, in honor of those airmen who died, including those who died while in training at the Charlestown naval air facility in World War II.

The memorial observances will continue with a Community Concert and Remembrances at the Ninigret Park Pavilion, which will begin at approximately 2:45 PM.  The pavilion area provides ample parking and space for families to picnic comfortably, and the Charlestown Memorial Day Committee will offer limited light refreshments.  

Judge Pfeiffer will be the keynote speaker for the Memorial Day program, which will also include patriotic musical selections performed by the Wakefield Concert Band, under the direction of Mr. Barry Lieberman.