HANOVER — On Monday, May 27th, Hanover Township will host its annual Memorial Day Parade, marching down Whippany Road in a vibrant hour-long event. This year, the parade, chaired by Committeeman and Deputy Mayor Michael Mihalko and the Hanover Veterans Alliance, continues the tradition of honoring our fallen military and service heroes.
United States Army Sergeant and Team Chief Michael McCorry, who served in the 2nd USA Missile Detachment in Germany, will be this year’s Grand Marshal. The keynote speaker will be Command Chief Master Sergeant (RET) Joseph Ortu from the 108th Air Refueling Wing. Ortu began his military career in 1967 and retired in 2007, with deployments in Thailand, Norway, Ecuador, Turkey, Spain, and France.
The parade starts at 9:30 a.m. at Whippany Park High School. It will kick off with the Hanover Township Committee members and feature veterans from World War II, the Slattery Marine Corps League, the US Marine Corps Color Guard, the Whippany Park Marching Band, pipe bands, military vehicles, and various service organizations. Participants will also include the Whippany and Cedar Knolls Fire Departments, area churches, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and numerous teams from Little League and soccer, marching with members of the NY Red Bulls.
The parade will conclude at the American Legion Hall on Legion Place, where ceremonies honoring those who gave their all will be held. Command Chief Master Sergeant Ortu will deliver a speech. Following the ceremony, there will be a gathering at the rear of the Legion with hot dogs and refreshments for all attendees.
Parking for the Legion ceremony will be available in the JCC parking lot at 905 Route 10. Access can be made via Legion Place anytime before the parade or the Route 10 entrance to the JCC. Signs and police officers will provide directions to dedicated parade parking, and a shuttle to the Legion will be available for those who prefer not to walk.
