From page 1 of the Nashua Telegraph, 29 May, 1976.
"A six-division parade and traditional exercises will highlight Nashua's observance of Memorial Day on Monday morning when the city pays homage to the dead of all wars.
The city's annual tribute will feature various memorial services before the parades gets under way at 10:30. Signaling the start of the march will be the firing of a cannon from Soldiers' Monument. It will be manned by the First New Hampshire Regiment, headed by Captain Rene Guertin.
Several communities nearby plan special Memorial Day programs on Sunday and Monday.
Memorial Day was dedicated as a time of remembrance for those who died in the Civil war, 1961-65. The observance has since been expanded to include all servicemen and women killed in action.
Chief marshal of the parade, Ernest E. Ledoux, said, "the tradition of Memorial Day has much of its roots in an order issued in 1868 by Gen. John A. Logan, who called upon the Grand Army of the Republic to observe a day 'dedicated for the purpose of strewing flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in the defense of their country.' "
The parade assembly area here will be Orange Street. Marchers will proceed out of Orange Street to Concord Street and south on Main Street to City Hall.
Assisting Chief Marshal Ledoux, a past state vice commander of the American Legion, will be his chief of staff, John Bisset, former state commander, and a alternate national committeeman. The liaison officer is Donald Desrosiers, junior vice commander of James E. Coffey Post, American Legion, and serving as the marshal's aide will be Lt. Col. Chester J. McKuskie, US Army Reserve-ret., a past Legion commander. The chaplain-of-the-day will be the Rev. Robert D. Schenkel, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd. He is a former commissioned officer in the US Coast Guard.
Featuring the program in front of City Hall, starting about 10:45, will be an address by Sen. D. Alan Rock, general manager of radio station WSMN. He served with the Army Signal Corps in the Far East Theater of Operations during the Korean Conflict.
The president-of-the-day is Leo Maynard, immediate past commander of the Coffey Post.
After the traditional exercises, which will be viewed by Gold Star Mothers and city officials stationed there, the parade will continue to Simoneau Plaza where it will disband.
Leading the parade will be a police cruiser, Police Chief Craig S. Sandler, Fire Chief Victor C. DuVarney, a police tactical squad and police color guard.
Five musical organizations will participate: Nashua High Band, American Legion Band, Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps., Suburbanettes and Elks Trojans Drum and Bugle Corps.
General chairman of the parade is Royal E. Miller Jr., past commander of the Legion; Leo Maynard is parade chairman, and Debbie Leonard is secretary-treasurer.
In the event of rain, all exercises will be held in the Spring Street Junior High School auditorium.
The six division will include the following.
FIRST DIVISION
Chief Marshal, Ernest Ledoux, past commander, James E. Coffey Post, American Legion; chief of staff, John Bissett; alternate national executive committeeman, A. L.; Nashua reserve Officers, Lt. Col. Paul B. Nelson, chapter president; deceased veterans' flags; Civil Air Patrol, Lt. Andrew Amitrano; Nashua High School Band, Stephen Norris, director; First New Hampshire Regiment, Col. Fred Pollard; Colonial Ladies, Donna Dubois, president.
SECOND DIVISION (pictured above is the Legion Color Guard followed by the band)
Division Marshal, Benedict Hargreaves, Life Member, Past Commander, James E. Coffey Post; American Legion Color Guard; American Legion Band; American Legion, Byron Pitarys, commander; American Legion Auxiliary; Laura Auclair, president; Hudson Legion Post 48 and Auxiliary.
THIRD DIVISION
Division Marshal, Robert Paine, PC, Gate City Chapter, Disabled American Veterans; DAV. Byron Buckingham, PC, and Raymond Landry, commander; DAV Color Guard; World War I Veterans Color Guard; WWI Veterans Barracks and Auxiliary, Madlyn Primus, president; Navy Mothers Club, Bessie Cote; Catholic War Veterans Post 1405, Romeo Marquis, commander, and Auxiliary, Yvette Marquis, president; CWV Post 1700. Joseph Borbeau, commander and Auxiliary, Evelyn Mondoux, president; Spartan Drum and Bugle Corps.
FOURTH DIVISION
Division Marshal, Romeo A. Marquis, PC, NH Department, Veterans of Foreign Wars; VFW Post 483 Color Guard; VFW Post, Leo Warner, commander and Auxiliary, Brenda Byrne, president; VFW Military Order of the Cootie, Henry Davis, seam squirrel; Cootie Patrol Wagon, C. Lessard; Suburbanettes.
FIFTH DIVISION
Division Marshal, Ernest Laflotte; Nashua Elks Trojans Drum and Bugle Corps; Elks Color Guard; Elks Lodge, Elks Princess; Boy Scouts; Knights of Columbus, George Levesque, grand knight.
SIXTH DIVISION
Improved Order of Redmen, Julius Lafleur in charge, and Order of Pocahontas.
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From page 1 of the Nashua Telegraph, 1 June, 1976.
About 12 children were overcome by heat exhaustion in the only unfavorable feature during the city's observance of Memorial Day yesterday morning.
A six-division parade, headed by Ernest E. Ledoux as chief marshal, and traditional exercises featuring and address by state Sen. D. Alan Rock, D-Nashua, drew several thousand spectators.
The majority of children who suffered heat exhaustion, fainted in front of City Hall during the holiday program, according to Telegraph staffer Donald Dillaby, chairman of the Red Cross Chapter's Disaster Services. He said most of them were treated at the scene. He said the Red Cross maintained a first-aid station in the City hall area and also a mobile first-aid station.
The Pennichuck Pumping Station reported yesterday's high reading reached 82 degrees.
The yearly parade was preceded by memorial services at Woodlawn Cemetery, Edgewood Cemetery, Soldiers' Monument, Main Street Bridge and the Deschenes Oval where James E. Coffey Post, American Legion, held its services.
Highlighting the Legion program was an address by chief marshal Ledoux, a past stat vice commander. He traced the tradition of Memorial Day and said, "We must ask ourselves this question. Have the men and women whom we honor here today given their lives in vain?" He also attacked U.S., Soviet Union "detente," said the United States ranked militarily behind Russia and Red China, and defined detente as "appeasement."
The line of march ...."
"An annual feature was the carrying of name banners representing Nashua servicemen who died in past wars by Boy, Girl and Cub Scouts of the Nashua Lodge of Elks.
Gold Star Mothers were honored at City Hall. Among them were Cecilia Lemieux, Regina Paradis, Elise Labonte, Louise Letendre, and Irene Mercier. The last named was a longtime president of the New Hampshire and Vermont Gold Star Mothers, Inc.
Among the main principals in the City Hall program were speaker Rock; president of the day, Leo Maynard, and chaplain of the day, the Rev. Robert D. Schenkel, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd.
General chairman of the parade was Royal E. Miller, past commander of the Legion and commander-elect of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post; Maynard as parade chairman, and Debbie Leonard as secretary-treasurer of the joint veterans committee.
Rock said in part: "We cannot honor the war dead of past years on this Memorial Day, 1976, if we are not willing to pledge ourselves to continue to follow in the footsteps of the brave Americans who have given a lifetime of tomorrows for the peace we enjoy today."
In asking his listeners to pledge for patriotic loyalty, the speaker said " We must remember today the peace we enjoy was not free. The cost was high. Almost one million of our nation's bravest and best young men have given their lives securing and defending this country's peace and its possessions."
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