by Tony Gray

WHITEHALL, NY --- Memorial Day is a holiday observed on the last Monday of May to honor military members who died serving our country. This year, the holiday is 31 May 2021.

"Last year, we didn't have the parade," American Legion Commander Mike Rocque said. "We laid the wreath at the gun park and had the mass at Our Lady of Angels cemetary so we still honored the day but we didn't have the parade."

This year's Grand Marshall will be Vietnam-era veteran James Lafayette. Other people with positions of honor in the parade include Gold Star Mother Cathy Aiken and Whitehall's 2021 Distinguished Young Woman, Zoe Eggleston.

Rocque received permission from Whitehall Village Board members last month to conduct a covid-safe parade. Rocque told village board members the parade route would be spaced out for social distancing and participants would wear masks.

Village Mayor Julie Eagan said parade participants can follow updated guidance from the Center for Disease Control. "If they're vaccinated, they don't need masks," Eagan said. "When we approved the parade, that was before the new guidance that you don't have to wear masks if you're fully vaccinated." Rocque said he wouldn't be enforcing mask wearing by parade participants because there's not a lot of bunching up in the parade and everything is outdoors. "We would always encourage vulnerable people to take whatever precautions they need to protect themselves," Rocque added. "People who are very, very, very concerned, our recomentdation is they stay home."/p>

Eagan expects people will start lining up along the parade route around 9 a.m. The parade participants will depart the American Legion at 10 a.m. and should return by 11, according to the mayor.

The parade will head north from the Legion, on Main Street, turning on Clinton. When they reach the corner of Clinton Street and Route #22, the parade pauses while Rocque, Grand Marshall James Lafayette and Gold Star Mother Cathy Aiken will help assemble the guard to render respect. After Aiken lays a wreath, the parade will reassemble to head south on Broadway until they reach Poultney Street, which they will take until Stewarts, where they turn on to Williams Street before marching over the Saunders Street bridge to return to the park.

About 20 minutes after the parade returns to the park, there will be a brief ceremony in the park gazebo where roll is called of the Whitehall veterans who died serving America, which will be followed by remarks from Town Supervisor John Rozell, Mayor Eagan, Grand Marshall Lafayette and the Exalted Leader of the Elks. The ceremony concludes with a poem read by 2nd grade students and is followed by a small meal avaliable in the Legion. Rocque said the Legion and Elks Club split the cost. "We do the same thing for the Veterans Day service," he said.

Memorial Day ceremonies begin before the parade with a full color and gun guard, in our Lady of Angels cemetary, at 08:00 at the altar in the cemetary center. After mass, Legionnaires lay a wreath and render a 21-gun salute, according to Rocque.