Parade honors lost soldiers

CHATHAM Local residents were out seeking shade under trees or sitting in chairs on their porches or front lawns shortly before 11 a.m. Monday as firefighters and band members assembled on Woodbridge Avenue, all for Chathams annual Memorial Day parade.

Meghan Distin, 7, was sitting on the shady front lawn of a Kinderhook Street house with her great-grandmother, Jean Wadsworth, of Old Chatham, her great-aunt Benita Loyche and her cousin, Rebecca Loyche, as she does every year at this time. Marching in the parade were Meghans father, Chatham Fire Chief Matthew Distin, her brother, Andrew, 12, who was riding in a fire truck and her aunt, firefighter Kelly Distin.

Meghan said her favorite part is always seeing her father march by, carrying a flag or an ax.

Sitting on the porch were Danielle and Peter Palleschi.

And a glorious day to boot, added Peter.

Chatham Police Officer David Moon, directing traffic at Park Place and Kinderhook Street, said the parade was not as busy as last year, but a fine day to do it, especially since its not raining.

Jim and Anita Cartin of Kinderhook Street were standing with a large group of people in the shade of trees at the corner of Kinderhook Street and Park Place. Jim tried to remember when they first started coming to the event.

Ever since the kids were in band, he said. Son Matthew Cartin, here with his family from Atlanta, Ga., said he was in band in 1987. But daughter Bridget Lieberum of Thurman, Warren County, said the family had had marchers from the Girl Scouts in the parade from 1982 to 1997.

The master of ceremonies at the village gazebo was William Hogan of the Chatham American Legion. His wife, Post Commander Melissa Hogan, was the keynote speaker.

Freedom is our call, but it doesnt come free, Hogan said. The meaning of this day impacts the whole world. Tens of millions of veterans put their lives on hold to wear the uniform.

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Parade honors lost soldiers