Veterans Day Parade Canceled
November 11, 2015
.........Middleboro’s Veterans Day parade was canceled due to near gale force winds and driving
rain. The after parade ceremony, which was to be held at the Middleboro Veterans Memorial Park
was moved to the auditorium of the 1873 Town Hall. The ceremony honoring all veterans also
included a special tribute to members of the Middleboro Veterans Honor Guard.
......Despite the inclement weather over 150 persons attended the indoor event.
......Two members of the Honor Guard represented the group as Grand Marshals at the ceremony.
Russell Pittsley, 95, was recognized as possibly the oldest active member of an Honor Guard
firing squad in the nation; and, Walter D. Campbell, Jr., 86, may well be the longest bugling
member of an Honor Guard nationally. He started playing the bugle at age seven with the Sons of
the Legion drum corps.
......Both men received lots of newspaper coverage prior to the parade. (See stories on this
website about the Grand Marshals and the correction article about Pittsley.)
......Other members of the Middleboro Honor Guard are: Bill Blight, Bob Burke, Jim Cadorette,
Lou Demers, Allen Edwards, Walt Elliot, Bill Franks, Ron Herbert, A; Aissner, Leon Jones, Bob
Jordan, Paul Krietzberg, Bob Lessard and Jeff Montelo.
......Also, Bill Oliver. Al Ortelt, Wayne Packard, Paul Provencher, Norm Record, Jack Remedis,
Brian Reynolds,Dave Singer, Mary Standish, Don Triner,Tex Washburn. Bruce Wright,Charles
Griffin, John Costa and Fred Roberson.
...... World War 2 memorabilia displays within the auditorium were presented for review. Among
the items were 30 propaganda posters from WW2; displays concerning Middleboro’s two Medal of
Honor recipients, U.S. Army Lt. Patrick J. Regan of WW1 and Navy Corpsman Wayne M. Caron, a
casualty of Vietnam; the front of the stage area was covered with huge panels displaying WW2
Middleboro men and women veterans; and, several other WW2 veterans were highlighted in framed
histories.
......Post 64 Historian Bob Lessard, who also serves as Senior Vice Commander of the Middleboro
Veterans Council, welcomed the crowd on behalf of Commander Norman Record, and read a Veterans
Day proclamation before introducing Paul Krietzberg, who would serve as the Master of
Ceremonies.
......Kreitzberg is a veteran who wears a lots of hats.
...... In addition to being Treasurer and Trustee of the Middleboro Veterans Memorial Park, he
is an officer in the Oak Point Veterans Association, delegate to the Middleboro Veterans
Council, member of the Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64 American Legion, and a member of the
Middleboro Veterans Honor Guards. And, the students of Middleboro’s elementary schools know him
as the man who tells the story of our American Flag.
......He also was in charge of the sound system and ably assisted by Navy Veteran Tom Dexter.
...... Lorna Brunelle of the Burt Wood School of Performing Arts provided soloists for the
ceremony. Miss Alexandra Berube, who is Miss Massachusetts Outstanding Teen of 2015, sang the
“Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America.” Former Miss Taunton Devon Elizabeth Williams
sang “God Bless the USA.” A medley of patriotic songs, including “Yankee Doodle” and “Grand Ol’
Flag,” were sung by Wheelock College graduate Emily St. Laurent.
......Middleboro’s High School band, which were positioned in the auditorium balcony, played
the “National Anthem,” under the direction of director Justin Pittsley.
......The Grand Marshals led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
......An invocation was given by Reverend Laird Ballard of the New Life Baptist church.
......The High School band played “Salute to America.” This composition contains the service
songs of all branches of the military. Flags of all branches of the military were individually
posted on the stage under the direction of Bruce Wright. Hand salutes were rendered by veteran
when their service flag was posted.
......Posting of wreaths dedicated to the various veteran groups followed. The two Grand
Marshals, Pittsley and Campbell, posted the center wreath honoring all veterans, assisted by
retired Army veteran Paul Provencher, who is a Past Commander of Post 64 and Middleboro’s
Veterans agent.
......Bob Lessard then read the history of the Middleboro Veterans Honor Guard and presented
citations to the two Grand Marshals.
......A 21 gun salute by the Honor Guard firing squad was held outside the Town Hall under the
direction of Bill Franks.
......The Reverend Sarah Person of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Middleboro
closed the ceremony with Benediction.
View more history for Post 64 in Middleborough, Massachusetts
