Generally Speaking: U.S. Postal Service to join nation’s oldest Memorial Day Parade

The United States Postal Service last month released three Medal of Honor stamps featuring images of the medal that is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces, for heroic actions above and beyond the call of duty.

Pictured on the stamps are the Army, Navy and Air Force versions of the medals of Honor. The Marines and members of the Coast Guard are awarded the Navy medal.

On May 25 there will be ceremonies marking the start of the Vietnam War at the National Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., and on the same date, the U.S. Postal Service will be participating in the 148th annual Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade, here in Bay Ridge.

While the official stamps are being formally dedicated in Washington, the USPS will be heralding the event during our Memorial Day Parade. This year, the parade returns to its former route that it had when it was first moved from Prospect Park West to Bay Ridge about two decades ago. The new route will start at 77th Street, run along Third Avenue and up Marine Avenue, and then along Fourth Avenue to 101st Street at John Paul Jones Park.

Parade Chair Ray Aalbue, a Vietnam era Air Force veteran, will be interviewed by Mike Connors about the parade on his popular radio Saturday evening program, “Ask the Lawyer,” on AM 970, The Answer.  The show will be broadcast on Saturday, May 16 at 6 p.m.

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Community Relations NYPD officers from 23 Brooklyn precincts were recently honored by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams in the ceremonial courtroom at Brooklyn Borough Hall. Among the honorees were Police Officers Harold Kirschner and Mike Panepinto from the 68th Precinct.

Present for the occasion were their commanding officer Captain Ray Festino, Police Commissioner William Bratton, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Deputy Borough President Diana Reyna, Patrol Borough Brooklyn South Commander Chief Steven Powers and Deputy Chief Eric Rodriguez, in addition to several precinct commanders and other NYPD brass.