99 Year Old WWII Veteran to Serve as Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshal

William Vornkahl, President of the Westport Veterans Council, announced today that the Grand Marshal for the Memorial Day Services is Nicholas Rossi.  Nicholas Rossi was born in Oyster Bay, New York on September 3, 1922.  He graduated from Oyster Bay High School in 1940, where he earned a Varsity letter in four sports:  football, track, baseball and basketball.

Soon after graduation, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps during World War II and served from December 1942 through March 1945.  His flight crew was part of the 305th Bombardment Group of the 364th Squadron, assigned to the 8th Air Force Bomber Command in England which flew the B-17 “Flying Fortress” bomber in the European Theater.  A Technical Sergeant, Rossi flew multiple bombing missions as a B-17 gunner over occupied central Europe.

Rossi was discharged from the Army in March of 1945 but remained in Liege, Belgium after the war for several more years.  As a civilian, he was employed by the government to work with the American Graves Registration Command for the purpose of locating and identifying unrecovered dead military personnel.

Rossi married in 1956 and raised five children (Paul, Christine, Caren, Carla and Peter) in the house he built in Mill Neck, NY.  After the passing of his wife, Nick relocated to Westport, Connecticut and now resides with his son Paul and daughter-in-law Marguerite and his three grandchildren.

Now in his 99th year, Nick is delighted and honored to be this year’s Grand Marshal of the Westport Memorial Day parade.

Following the parade, Memorial Day Services will be held on Veteran’s Green.