A beautiful, sunny day in the 70's on Monday made for a perfect setting for Westport's annual Memorial Day parade which wound it's way through town delighting the thousands of spectators from Riverside Avenue, across the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial Bridge and finishing up after passing Town Hall.

Photos and story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery

Every, or nearly every civic and community organization in town participated, with the award winning Staples High School band and the Suzuki Music School providing the soundtrack. Staples Varsity Cheerleaders pumped up the crowd, the Westport-Weston Y's Gymnastics team did flips and handstands and youth sports teams from the little leagues to softball and lacrosse waved to the admiring crowds.

Revolutionary War officer Miggs Burroughs marched promoting the Yankee Doodle Fair, the minuteman statute on Compo Rd. we all pass by all summer long rode through a float through town looking suspiciously like RTM member Andrew Colabella.

American flags waved in the breeze, vehicles decked out in the Red, White and Blue accompanied A.J. Penna's flatbed carried the Westport Rotary's Giant Duck reminding us of the annual Great Duck Race along with a very large lobster giving thoughts to the Rotary's annual Lobsterfest which seems a long way off at the unofficial start of summer.

Members of all the service branches and veterans of the Korean War, Viet Nam and even World War II, like Grand Marshall Ben Pepper who is 99 years young this year reminded us of why why were gathered; to honor the service and sacrifice of those who returned from wars and especially this who did not.

Check back tomorrow for more parade and Memorial coverage.

Photos and story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.