Branford Steps Up And Shows Support For Its Veterans

Jack Kramer, Correspondent

BRANFORD, CT – The threat that Branford’s Veterans Day tradition may be coming to an end due to poor attendance at recent parades triggered a response in the community, according to Bill O’Brien, chairman of the Veteran Day Parade Committee.

“Despite the dreary weather on Sunday, there were many more people at the parade than have been there in past years,” O’Brien said on Monday about the Veterans Day parade on Sunday.

“It pretty much rained throughout the whole parade – and the festivities leading up to it,” O’Brien said. “But I really have to hand it to people, there was a lot of people who seemed to come out and make a point of supporting the veterans and watching the bands play.”

O’Brien said he thought it also helped that the ceremonies before the parade were moved from in back of the Green to the front of the Green, which is much more visible to the downtown area.

In advance of Sunday’s parade O’Brien has said that the parade may be the last one unless attendance improved. O’Brien said the Veterans Day parade in recent years has had a tough time competing with the more popular Memorial Day festivities – “which fall on a Monday, when people are not working and there isn’t a lot of competition for people’s attention like there is on a Sunday when you have youth sports and the NFL.”

Members of the VFW and American Legion have become disappointed with the poor support shown over the past 8 to 10 years at the November parade. Discussions have been held at recent meetings about not having a Veterans Day parade this year but the committee opted to notify the public first to see if attendance improves.

O’Brien said the VFW and American Legion will be meeting in the coming weeks to have further discussions about whether to continue the parade next year.

Photo credit: Branford Veterans Day Parade Committee