Honoring

veterans

Putnam’s Memorial Day observance will take place May 25 with the parade stepping off at 10 a.m. and concluding with a memorial program at Rotary Park.  In case of inclement weather, notification will be on WINY 1350 AM the morning of the parade.

In Eastford the Parade will begin at the Eastford Elementary School at 9:30 a.m. Immediately following the parade, a Memorial Day  Ceremony will be held at the Ivy Glenn Memorial. Memorial services and military salutes will be held at the General Lyon Cemetery at 8:30 a.m. and the Grove Cemetery at 9 a.m. 

In Pomfret the annual Memorial Day Parade starts at 10 a.m. starting at the Abington Congregational Church, proceeding North down Route 97/Hampton Road, turning west onto Route 44 and ending at the Abington Cemetery where a wreath will be placed and observances take place.

Putnam’s parade will feature a lineup of marchers which will include town officials, a National Guard Unit, local veterans groups, VFW and American Legion poppy queens, several civic and fraternal organizations and youth groups. Patriotic music will be provided by local bands and the Putnam High and Middle School Bands.

Gerard Cotnoir, who served in the Air Force from 1944-46, will be this year’s parade Marshall.  He was assigned to Lowry Air Force base in Denver in 1944 and he trained in Air Force photography. He was then sent to Buckingham Air Force base in Fort Meyers, Fla., to train on B24 and B29 planes as a gunner.  In 1945, he was transferred to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., where he trained to be part of the invasion of Japan. In August of 1945, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan signaled the end of the preparation to invade Japan. Gerard was released from service in 1946 and returned home to Putnam

He was married in 1950 to Leona LaVigne, a lady pharmacist from Putnam.  They had four children, Michelle, Gerard, Marc and Ernest.  He also has five grandchildren.

To accommodate older and disabled veterans, who wish to be in the parade, transportation will be available by calling the VFW at 860-928-9897.

Following the parade a speaking ceremony will take place in Rotary Park.  

The key note address will be given by veteran Barney Seney, a veteran of Vietnam war from 1965-1966 in the 716th MP Battalion Company B.

All marching units and on lookers are asked to gather at Rotary Park on Kennedy Drive immediately following the parade for the Memorial Day observance ceremony. The program will be led by Master of Ceremonies, Ronald P. Coderre, a U.S. Air Force veteran.  The VFW Chaplin will be announcing the remembrance of deceased soldiers in the state of Connecticut during duty in 2014. Lillium Florist will be at the ceremony to distribute roses to family members of deceased and living Veterans.

Following the ceremony, the V.F.W. and American Legion will host a free picnic in Rotary Park.  Refreshments include hot dogs, chips and drinks for as long as they last. Caity Cakes will give out free cupcakes while they last to all veterans.

Earlier in the week, local veterans will place American flags at the graves of veterans interred in the 

St. Mary, Grove Street and Nancy Drive, Munyan Road and Rte. 21 cemeteries.  There they will remain until Veterans Day in November.

The traditional wreath laying and military tributes at Putnam cemeteries, bridges and monuments will be conducted by a National Guard firing squad plus officers and color guards from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, starting at 10 a.m. May 24. The Putnam Police Department is providing security and escort services for all Memorial Day observance activities. 

 

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