Veterans Plan Boycott of Malverne Parade

The Memorial Day parade in Malverne is a tradition that many members of the community look forward to each year.

However, a decision to change the start time of this year's event - moving it from 11 a.m. to 9 a.m. - has outraged some local veterans who have said that they will boycott marching this year unless the parade returns to its original schedule.

This issue was discussed at the May 4 meeting of the village board, when William Voelker, a member of the American Legion Post 44, addressed Mayor Patricia Norris McDonald and the trustees.

Voelker stated that a number of veterans were upset with the lack of input then had in coming to the decision to change the time of the parade. He said he first learned about it on April 11, at a meeting of the American Legion members. At this time their commander, John Hassett, opened a letter he had received from the village.

"No one checked with either the Legion or the VFW," Voelker said.

McDonald interjected, saying that Voekler's statements were inaccurate and that she had spoke with Commander Hassett on April 7 regarding this matter.

"For you to say that this was the first time he heard is not correct," McDonald said, and asked Hassett to come to the podium as well.

Hassett agreed that he had spoke to McDonald on April 7 - four days before the members received the letter, but added, "I am not the American Legion. I am just the commander. The men are the American Legion. "

"And we're a very democratic organization," Voelker added. "We vote on things."

Voelker said the village should have checked with the veterans to learn what the ramifications would be of moving the parade to the earlier time.

"You hire a band and we pay for it, the village and the VFW...that band marches in three and four and five parades on the same day," Voelker said. "When you change the time you just wiped out the band."

He also pointed out that the Legion holds it's own function every year after immediately following the parade and now this will need to change.

Voelker said, "Atleast giving us the courtesy of letting us know there is in a change so we could give you some input on the positive and negatives..."

McDonald said that the village did have a meeting with the veterans on May 2 and everything was resolved.

"Do we have a band...that can play military music?" Voelker then asked.

Trustee Michael Bailey said, "We have three bands in the parade this year that we reviewed with the group [of veterans] the other night as opposed to four which we normally have."

The three bands include the Malverne Fire Department band, which doesn't march in any other parades and therefore has no conflicts, the Malverne High School Marching Band, which won a state championship this year and the Howard T. Herber Middle School Band.

Bailey said he spoke with the director of high school band and this year, in addition to playing military music they normally play are also working on a medley of service branches music.

"But can they play military music...not football field style?" Voelker asked. "In the past I have never seen them do that."

Bailey said he would have more details about the music in the coming days.

"It took us over the 10 years to get the band that we had for the past few years," Voelker said, explaining the difficult in finding a group that can play military music correctly. "For the military guys, there's a certain beat and a certain march and it's very disruptive to change that."

Bailey then explained that the purpose of moving the start time has discussed for atleast a decade, which he said was to increase turnout for the event.

"Memorial Day is a veterans day," Voelker said.

To which Bailey responded, "Memorial Day is a ceremony to recognize the war dead, Veterans Day is in November."

Bailey added, "The more people that we can involve, particular the young people in this communit yt be aware of and part fo the honoring of those people who made the ultiatme sacrifice is our shared objective."

McDonald said depsite any animosity that Voelker may have observed from the veterans toward the village, there was none at their recent meeting.

"Everyone got along," she said.

Yet following the exchange at the board meeting, the dispute has carried over to the Internet, where various emails have gone back and forth between veterans and other residents after the members of the VFW and Legion announced they will be boycotting the parade this year

In one email, John Hassett wrote: "...the V.F.W. and the American Legion will NOT be participating in the parade this year.  The veterans organizations were never involved in the decision to change the time of the parade."

The email continued to say the if the 9 a.m. time is unchanged, the veterans will hold a ceremony at the Post starting at 11 a.m. and concluding with a flag raising at noon.

He added, "All are welcome to attend the ceremony..."

Peter Robideau, a resident who has attended the parade for the past 14 years, wrote back, "Boycotting a parade?  Really?  I could see protesting if someone burned a flag – I’d be right with you on that, but a time change so that the parade would be better attended?  I think it’s an extreme statement that’s being made for a not so obvious reason.  Who will benefit from this boycott?"

Hassett alleged that the real reason the parade was moved was because the later time interferred with peoples' barbecue.

He wrote in another email,"Why not just rename the parade the BBQ Day parade and be done with it instead of carrying on a charade that the parade is honoring our fallen Veterans – better yet why not just end the parade altogether and then the BBQ can start even earlier!!!"

The dialogue has continued via emails, which dozens of recipients have been copied on, but don't appear to include members of the village board.

Both Mayor Patricia Norris McDonald and Commander John Hassett have yet to return requests for comment.

What do you think of the decision to change the start time? Will it change whether you attend? Do you agree with the veterans choice to boycott marching?

Tell us in today's Question of the Day by clicking here.