Memorial Day 2023 In West Hartford, What You Need To Know

Town of West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — One of the town's most distinguished war heroes and an Army pilot will be on hand this Memorial Day to oversee the 2023 Memorial Day Parade.

The Town of West Hartford and the American Legion Post 96 said U.S. Army officer and West Hartford native son Jerry Gorss is the grand marshall for the Memorial Day Parade.

The Memorial Day Parade is at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 29, and it traverses from the corner of Woodrow Street and Farmington Avenue and ends at West Hartford Town Hall, 50 S. Main St.

In addition, Gorss is the keynote speaker at a post-parade Memorial Day remembrance ceremony at the Veterans Memorial, which is at the corner of North Main Street and Farmington Avenue.

In the event of rain, the parade is canceled and the ceremony is moved to the town hall auditorium at 11 a.m. A notice will be posted on the town’s website, westhartfordct.gov.

The next day, Gorss will be the keynote speaker for the 8th annual inductees ceremony recognizing graduating high school students entering military service on Tuesday, May 30.

Gorss' Service

A native of West Hartford, Gorss is a graduate of Conard High School where he earned varsity letters in soccer, wrestling and lacrosse.

He also earned the Eagle Scout designation with Troop 146 of West Hartford.

After leaving West Hartford, Gorss served as an active-duty Army officer for more than a decade.

Upon graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., Gorss was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the aviation branch, being assigned to flight school at Fort Rucker, Ala.

Gorss was then assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ken., where he served in command and staff assignments from platoon leader through troop commander.

He deployed to northeastern Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and helped test and author Army concepts on manned-unmanned aviation teaming.

Gorss is the second-ever commander of the first Unmanned Aerial Surveillance (UAS) Troop within a combat aviation brigade and deployed to a combat theater.

Following troop command, Gorss returned to West Point on the staff and faculty as a tactical officer and primary trainer and leader developer to cadets.

In 2020, Gorss transitioned from active duty to the U.S. Army Reserve, serving as assistant professor of military science for the Reserve Officer Training Corps battalions at Boston College and Northeastern University.

Today, he serves as a military academy liaison officer, responsible for recruiting and assessing high school students for admission to West Point.

Attaining the rank of Major, Gorss is a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal for leadership and excellence in a combat zone, two Meritorious Service Medals for leadership, and two Air Medals for excellence in the performance of flight duties as a pilot in combat.

"West Hartford takes great pride in hosting its Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony held annually on the federal holiday, last Monday of May," wrote the town.

"It follows a tradition established by returning West Hartford veterans from World War I in the 1920s. All veterans are welcome to march in the parade."

Parking

There is free parking all day at all municipal parking sites on Memorial Day.

Municipal parking will resume normal operation on Tuesday, May 30, at 6 a.m. Fees apply in the parking garages.

In preparation for the Memorial Day parade, starting at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, May 29, the town will implement a parking ban along the parade route.

On-street parking will prohibited on the west side of Pleasant Street from Whitman Avenue to Farmington Avenue; on Farmington Avenue, both sides, from Walden Street to Raymond Road; and on North Main and South Main streets, both sides, from Brace Road to Burr Street.

The town will lift the parking ban following the conclusion of the parade at about 11 a.m.

Additional information is available at www.WestHartfordCT.gov/MemorialDayParade. Questions about the parade may be directed to Renée McCue at 860-561-7521, renee@westhartfordct.gov.

People can watch the May 29 parade and the May 30 military inductee ceremony via Comcast channel 5, Frontier channel 6098 and on YouTube.

For more information on West Hartford's Memorial Day activities, click on this link.