Memorial Day Parade will be on the radio

Parade leaves staging area from Anna Parker Field at 10 a.m. tomorrow on same route to Riverside Cemetery

By Mark E. Vogler

Residents who can’t make it to the town’s annual Memorial Day Parade set for tomorrow (Saturday, May 25) can listen to it live on the radio. “That’s a major highlight to this year’s parade – and that will be a first, as far as I know,” Saugus Veterans Council Commander Stephen L. Castinetti said this week.

“WMEX 1510 AM out of Quincy will be broadcasting live,” said Castinetti, the retired U.S. Navy captain who will again be coordinating the parade.

Bands, marchers, parade floats, vehicles and other participants will gather at the staging area at Anna Parker Field at 124 Essex St. at 9 a.m. The parade will begin at 10 a.m., traveling the same parade route as last year: down Essex Street toward Cliftondale Square, down Lincoln Avenue onto Central Street, to Winter Street and into Riverside Cemetery for the Memorial Day Ceremonies.

Dean Pedersen, retired Navy captain from the Chaplain Corps, will be this year’s guest speaker. Jack Klecker, senior chief machinist’s mate, U.S. Navy retired, will be the grand marshal of this year’s parade. Klecker, a recipient of the 2023 Man of the Year Award at last fall’s Founders Day, is a 30-year Navy veteran.

Klecker will be riding in style, in a 1929 fully restored Model T Ford owned by David Graham, retired military of Marblehead, according to Castinetti. WIN Waste Innovations, a major sponsor of this year’s parade, will have a brand new electric trash truck in the procession.

“We will have a lot of the same participants as we did last year,” Castinetti said.

“But, we expect to have a lot more youth groups involved – Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, Little League – all kinds of kids will be coming,” he said.

There will be four school ROTC units participating this year – from Lynn English High School, Peabody High School, Salem High School and Revere High School. In addition, the Hingham Militia, dressed in period uniforms and accompanied by its rifle squad, will also participate.

There will be four musical platforms: the Lynn School Band, the McGann Marching Band, the Saugus High School Band and a DJ – Scott Elias – New England’s Best DJ’s and Photo Booths from Saugus. All – including the DJ – will provide patriotic music.

David Savoie and other members of the World War II Army reenactors will again participate, along with some military vehicles. Guy Moley, the man behind local charity car shows, has offered to bring some antique vehicles as in previous years. There will be several local organizations and clubs joining the parade with individual floats. The Broco Oil Truck also plans to be part of the procession. Saugus TV Studio Associate John Prudent has again prepared a special video capturing Saugus veterans, which will be running throughout the parade on a moving truck display, and residents will be able to view it.

Catherine Parrotta, of Boston 25 News, will sing the National Anthem to kick off the Memorial Day ceremony at Riverside Cemetery. Parrotta joined the television station in March 2012 as a general assignment reporter. Retired Chaplain LTC Robert Leroe of the Saugus Veterans Council will officiate the opening and closing prayers.

Parking will only be allowed in the cemetery for vehicles with handicapped placards.