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Veterans of Foreign Wars Downriver Post 7487 hosted its almost annual Memorial Day parade, observance ceremony and community luncheon Monday.
Village of Lewiston Deputy Mayor Bruce Sutherland announced the parade participants who traveled down Center Street.
VFW Adjutant Norm Machelor emceed the observance ceremony. Two special guest parade marshals - Col. Brian S. Bowman, wing commander of the 914th Airlift Wing at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, and 8-year-old Simon Zawistowski of Cub Scout Pack 855 - addressed a crowd of hundreds inside Academy Park.
The remembrance service included a C-130 flyover, choral selections from the Lewiston Choraleers, taps by Karl Miller of Bugles Across America, the reading of the honor roll of fallen soldiers, a laying of the memorial wreath, and re-enactors offering a gun volley.
Following the observance, the VFW and American Legion C.C. Kenney Lewiston Post 1083 hosted a luncheon inside the Lewiston No. 1 Volunteer Fire Co. firehall banquet room on North Sixth Street. More than 300 people enjoyed a lunch of Favorite's pizza, pasta, sausage and chicken.
Watch a highlight video and see more photos below:
Sutherland
Lewiston elected leaders
Lewiston Dance
Observance ceremony
Lewiston Choraleers
Observance ceremony
The Rev. Monsignor David LiPuma
Machelor presents VFW Cmdr. Bill Justyk with a proclamation from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Machelor at the mic.
Simon Zawistowski
Col. Bowman
Historical re-enactors prepare the volley.
The 914th color guard
Honoring the fallen soldiers.
The 914th color guard
Justyk, parade coordinator Jerry Wolfgang and Machelor
Veterans memorial
David Haim and Ally Nichols of Favorite's Pizza
Machelor, State Sen. Rob Ortt, Bowman and Justyk
Ortt addresses the luncheon crowd of 300-plus.
Assemblyman John Ceretto shares some words.