Remembering Fallen Followed by Annual Parade Mark Memorial Day in Parsippany

As Memorial Day nears and marks the time for Americans to reflect on those who served the country in the military, Parsippany is gearing up for a full day of activities to commemorate those men and women.

The day will kick off at 9 a.m. in Lake Hiawatha Park with a VFW ceremony in honor of two Parsippany service members who died in Vietnam.

Following that ceremony will be another event hosted and organized by the township, set to begin at 10 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park. Reverend Bragg of Parsippany Presbyterian Church will conduct the invocation; the Boys and Girls Scouts will lead the Pledge of Allegiance; the American Creed will be recited; Mayor James Barberio will explain the history of Memorial Day; and the history of Flanders Field will be recited by Eileen White of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

An honored guest at the ceremony will be Ed Zelichowski, a World War II veteran and 100-year-old who will help perform the wreath laying ceremony.

A VFW Rifle Squad will conduct the salute, and Taps will be played.

In addition, Siobhan Fuller, mother of Parsippany’s Derek McConnell, who died after being wounded in Afghanistan, will be a guest speaker at the event.

Following the ceremony the annual Parsippany parade will kick-off at noon. The procession will begin at Katherine Drive and end at Volunteers Park.

As a result, North Beverwyck Road will be closed at 11:45 a.m. between Vail and Knoll roads.

Subscribe to Parsippany Patch’s free daily newsletter for more local news, and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox, by clicking here.