Third Avenue boasts ‘bigger and better’ Memorial Day Parade

It was a day of thanks and remembrance on Monday, May 25 as the United Military Veterans of Kings County hosted the 148th annual Kings County Memorial Day Parade. The celebration – among the largest of its kind in the nation – graced the Ridge’s Third Avenue strip for its 23^rd year in the nabe.

The parade stepped off at 11 a.m. sharp, with marchers making their way from 78^th Street and Third Avenue – for the first time in eight years – along the strip to Marine Avenue, up to Fourth Avenue and over to John Paul Jones Park.

“The parade was monumental,” said Parade Chairperson Raymond Aalbue. “We filled up Third Avenue and we had an awful lot of people marching and a couple more bands this year. We had more veterans marching this year than ever before.”

Most importantly, Aalbue said, onlookers from near and far gathered to pay their respects not only to those who have lost their lives but also to this year’s Grand Marshal Howard Dunn, a decorated World War II veteran and local legend.

“People paid their respects to him, as well as our deputy grand marshals,” he said.

This year’s deputy grand marshals were WWII Veteran Major William Harris, USAF Ret.; Korean War Veteran and American Ex-POW James Faulkner and Korean War Veteran Donald Feldman. The reviewing officer was Colonel Joseph Davidson, commander of the Fort Hamilton Army garrison.

For the first time this year, the parade culminated with a special performance by the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard at John Paul Jones Park.

“They were terrific,” Aalbue said. “It was the first time we ever had someone perform in the park like that. They saluted the grand marshal and the deputy grand marshals, and that was really well received.”

Another first, Aalbue noted, was a Catholic War Veterans float that helped pave the way for the line of march.

“It was really great to see a float,” Aalbue said, noting that, in hopes of growing bigger and better each year, this year’s premiere float has only set the stage for more to come. “All I see from here on out is a bigger and better parade. We’re looking forward to the 150^th parade, and this year and next year are really the ground roots for us to grow.”

BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by Arthur de Gaeta