Politics & Government

Sunny Memorial Day Draws Thousands

Danbury's Memorial Day Parade drew thousands of people to Main Street and Rogers Park.

Erase the rain and people will come out for a parade. Thousands of people lined Main Street from Rose to South streets Monday morning for the annual Memorial Day parade.

"It's all about patriotism," said Veteran Pat Waldon, with the city of Danbury. Waldron is the person veterans go to when they're not getting the support they earned from the federal Veterans Administration. "When you see this many participants, who take time to be part of Memorial Day activities, they should be congratulated. People put in hours of work and they should be identified, like Mr. John Tanner, who organized it."

The parade drew out more than a dozen civic and cultural organizations in Danbury, including the Portugues Cultural Center, the Ecuadorian Cultural Center, the Ancient Order of the Hibernians and the Knights of Columbus, among many others. Church groups marched, as did schools, politicians, sports clubs, dancing groups and others.

Find out what's happening in Danburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I've been working as the Sergeant at Arms for 15 or 20 years," said Veteran Jose Gomes of Danbury. "It's nice to honor those who gave their lives so we can be free."

Gomes served in Korea from 1952 to 1954, and then six years in the Reserves.

Find out what's happening in Danburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here