Long Island Boy Plays Trumpet For Veteran After Memorial Day Parade Canceled

NORTH BELLMORE, NY - It may have rained on the Bellmore Memorial Day Parade, but it did not dampen one local 11-year-old's spirit.

Nicholas DeGregorio, a fifth-grader at Newbridge Road Elementary School, was excited to march in the parade for the first time with his school's marching band on Monday, so he was disappointed to hear the parade was canceled due to the weather, according to his mother, Mary Bellissimo-DeGregorio.

"Nicholas felt so bad for all of the veterans that would not have a parade in honor of all their fallen comrades," Mary wrote in a message to Patch.

Since he couldn't play in the parade, the two drove the parade route with Nicholas playing his trumpet out the window for all to hear, until they ended up at the memorial by Newbridge Road School.

A woman then walked up to both of them and told them that her dad, Chris Iannacone, a disabled World War II veteran who came from West Hempstead for the parade, and his driver were on their way and wanted to know if the parade was still on.

They told her that it was canceled but that Nicholas would play "You're a Grand Old Flag" for him on his trumpet.

"He was thrilled and Nicholas was thrilled as well to have the opportunity to play for him and brighten his morning," Mary wrote. "Behind every cloud is a silver lining."

A video of Nicholas playing for Iannacone can be seen below.