To the Editor:

The tradition of a Memorial Day parade in Altamont has been restored by village volunteers and will be held on May 23 at 2 p.m.

The parade is dedicated posthumously to our hometown heroes: United States Army Private Newton T. Ronan and United States Navy SLC Gunner’s Mate Porter E. Bidleman.

Jean Hungerford Krull, who volunteered for the U.S. Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), will serve as grand marshal.

The parade will start at the Altamont fairgrounds and end with a gathering in Orsini Park. There will be many floats and marchers, led by the exciting Schenectady Pipe Band! There will be performances by the Helderberg Stampede Cloggers and the Altamont Elementary Fifth-Grade Band and classmates along the way! 

We hope residents will fly their flags proudly and come out to cheer on the wonderful participants. The parade will conclude at Orsini Park, where there will be a short ceremony to remember our fallen soldiers — the reason for Memorial Day. 

The local vets will lay the wreath in the park at 1 p.m. and salute the memory of those soldiers who paid the ultimate price to defend us.

So get out those lawn chairs and you’ll be getting flags to wave to the marchers. Enjoy and  come up to the park afterward with your family. Oh, and please pray for sun!                                                                                 

Judi Dineen

Altamont Parade Committee