Community Corner

Memorial Day Parade Set for Monday, May 26


This year's Memorial Day Parade will start at 9 a.m. Monday, May 26 at St. Paul’s Church on Peck Street. 

The parade will continue to Farmington Avenue turning left onto Massirio Drive, passing VFW Post 10732, than a left onto Veterans Way and end at the Berlin Veterans Memorial Park where a Memorial Day Ceremony will take place. Between 9:45 and 10:05 AM. There will be an Invocation by Rev. Olivia M. Robinson, Kensington Congregational Church. The Berlin High School Chorus, directed by Kathryn Crabb, will sing the National Anthem and America the Beautiful. A Musical Ensemble from the Berlin High School Band will play a melody, directed by Jeff Sirois, and Trumpeters will play Taps. 

There will be a rifle volley by the joint members of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 10732 and members of the American Legion Post 68.

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This year’s guest speaker will be Peter Galgano Jr., secretary, Berlin Veterans Commission, and a United States Marine Corps veteran, having served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1970. He was honorably discharged as Sgt E-5.

Galgano is the Media Associate at Middlesex Community College in Middletown, where he manages the Broadcast Center and oversees the broadcast cinema/multimedia facilities technological needs of the college.

In 2003, he received the “Secretary of the State’s Public Service Award,” the Marine Corps League’s “Department of Connecticut Marine of the Year” in 2006. He received this for his extensive involvement with the Military Funeral Honors Detail, Wake Service, and creating a DVD that was given to over 300 Funeral Directors in CT to show to the families what was entitled to them.

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In 2007, after Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marines in Plainville, returned from Fallujah, Iraq, the Marines of Charlie Company named him the “2006 Marine Corps Veteran of the Year.” He received this honor for establishing a website for Marines in Iraq to see and communicate with their families in Connecticut. Peter was also the co-organizer for Charlie Company’s Homecoming from Iraq and he created a DVD of all the pictures for the 200 Marines returning.
In 2008, Peter was the Public Relations Chairman for bringing the largest traveling Vietnam Wall to Rentschler Field in East Hartford. He was also instrumental in bringing up the Marine Corps Silent Drill Team and the Drum and Bugle Corp.

In 2011, Galgano received the “William J. Pomfret Veteran Community Service Award” from the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce “Honor the Veterans and Support the Troops Committee.” In 2012, he was inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame and voted Member of the Year for his dedication to Veterans’ Causes throughout the State of Connecticut.

Galgano lives in East Berlin, with his wife, Virginia, and their three cats.

Also remember that in observance of the holiday:

  • All Town departments will be closed on Monday, May 26.
  • There will be no trash/recycling on Monday, May 26. Trash/Recycling will be picked up one day later.


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