City Prepares for Attleboro's Annual Memorial Day Parade

The American flags have been hung, officials have prepared their speeches and all that is needed is Attleboro area families to line the streets of downtown to watch the veterans, local boys and girl scout troops and the school bands walk in the annual Memorial Day parade. 

The community of Attleboro and its veterans understand and acknowledge the importance of honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, according to Carl Bradshaw, a retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. and Attleboro's director of Veterans' Services.

"It is also a great opportunity to remember there are heroes serving in our community everyday, along with the world's best military continuing the tradition of sacrifice here and abroad," he said.

There will be two days of ceremonies beginning at 8 a.m. Sunday and ending with the annual Memorial Day parade. 

More than 45 organizations and 1,000 participants will participate in the parade, according to Bradshaw. The two grand marshals are World War II Navy Veterans. Howard Walsh, 83, was a Fireman First Class and served on the destroyer, USS Johnson. Joining Walsh will be Horace “Benny” Benson,89, a retired Navy Lt. Commander and aircraft pilot who flew more than 100 missions during World War II and the Korean War. 

Memorial Day Services:

Sunday, May 29

Attleboro: At 8 a.m., a sunrise service, the oldest continuing ceremony in Attleboro, will be conducted by members of the Attleboro War Veterans Council at the Hillside Cemetery on South Main Street. Following the ceremony, the council will conduct a brief ceremony at the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial in Woodlawn Cemetery. 

South Attleboro – Starting at 9:30 a.m., there will be a ceremony held at Newell Cemetery followed by services at Bethany Village Fellowship, 516 Newport Ave. at 10 a.m. Beginning at approximately 11:30 a.m. there will be short ceremonies at South Attleboro Veterans Memorial Park (Lee’s Pond) on Washington Street. Following those ceremonies, there will also be brief ceremonies at the memorial adjacent to CVS, with a conclusion at American Legion Post 312 on Newport Ave.

Monday, May 30:

Attleboro – At 10 a.m., the Attleboro parade will step off from the former Knights of Columbus Hall on 2 Hodges St. 

With World War II Veterans, Horace Benson and Howard Walsh as parade marshals, the parade will proceed onto Hayward Street and along North Main Street, Sanford Street, Bank Street, Park Street and County Street to Capron Park, according to the city's office of Veterans' Services. The parade will include Miss Massachusetts, Lorin Galler Rabinowitz and a F-15 flyover by the 104th Massachusetts Air National Guard Wing.

At Capron Park, a memorial ceremony will begin at approximately 11:30 a.m., with Attleboro War Veterans Council Commander Phillip Audette as master of ceremonies. The ceremony will include words from State Rep. George Ross, Mayor Kevin Dumas and other elected officials.

The ceremony will conclude with the traditional gun salute and the playing of Taps. During and following the ceremony, there will be a performance by the

 In addition to the many veterans, dignitaries, official vehicles and various groups expected to participate in the parade are color guards from American Legion posts 20 and 312 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 115, a contingent from Disabled American Veterans (DAV) chapters 56 and 91, members of the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard, Marching Band, Marching Band, Rehoboth Minutemen Period Marching Unit, the Portuguese Independent Band, the Yankee Drum and Fife and many others.

Organizers encourage residents along the parade route to enhance the Memorial Day tribute by displaying American flags and other patriotic items.