Stepping off at 10 a.m., the parade will mark the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War.
By: Jennifer Potash
Recognition and remembrance of the 50th anniversary of the Korean War will be the focus of the third annual Princeton Memorial Day parade Saturday.
The parade will kick off at 10 a.m., beginning on Princeton Avenue, turning onto Nassau Street, continuing south on Nassau Street and ending on Monument Drive at Borough Hall for a memorial ceremony at 11:30 a.m.
Princeton has been designated by the U.S. Department of Defense as a “commemorative community” for its effort to honor the 50th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, said Frank Tylus, a member of the Spirit of Princeton Committee, which organized the event.
As a result, the parade will feature not only United States military veterans of the Korean War but also Korean-American groups, including Korean women wearing their traditional cultural dress, Mr. Tylus said.
“This year’s parade will witness, as it were, East meeting West,” he said.
The Korean section of the parade will be led by the Korean Folksong Music group.
The Spirit of Princeton Committee has received help and support from retired Col. Myung Chul Lee of the Republic of Korea Army and John Kim, president of the Korean Association of South Jersey.
The New Jersey National Guard Color Guard will lead the parade. The grand marshal is Col. James W. Lavas, financial offer for the Army National Guard and the Air Force National Guard.
Area veterans from the American Legion, Ladies Auxiliary members and Vietnam Veterans groups, along with Princeton University alumni veterans, will also march in the parade. Civic and youth groups, including Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, the Pettoranello Society and members of the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad and the Princeton Fire Department will take part as well.
The parade will also include antique cars and floats, and about 200 musicians, including the Princeton University Tiger Band, the Hightstown High School Band, the Trenton Central High School Band, the Hackettstown Colonial Musketeers Fife and Drum Corps and the Florence High School Band.
The brief memorial service at the monument on Monument Drive, at 11:30 a.m., will feature a keynote address by Col. Lovas and special presentations to the Knights of Columbus, St. Paul Roman Catholic School and Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart for achieving milestones in their community-service programs.