Parade, Services to Remember Vets on Memorial Day in Barrington

If it’s Memorial Day in Barrington, it means memorial services and a parade organized by the United Veterans Council and made up of numerous community organizations in four divisions.

The remembrance of all those veterans who died in war will kick off at 8:30 am at the Victory Field Memorial Gates at Barrington High School on Lincoln Avenue. 

Veterans council president Michael Tripp will preside. A roll call of Barrington veterans who died in war will be read by Robert Smith of VFW Post # 9742, and a Veterans Council official.

Members of Boy Scout Troop #2 will raise the flag. The Rev. Dean Perri, pastor of Our Lady of Loreto Church in East Providence, will say a prayer.

Luigi Carusi of American Legion Post #8 and Louis Codega of VFW Post # 9742 will place a wreath -- as they have done for many years. The Barrington Police Department will make up a rifle squad. Lucas Bledsoe and Jacob Greenberg will play Taps and Echo. 

If it rains, the opening ceremony will be held in the high school auditorium at 9:30 am. The Memorial Day forecast right now calls for mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the high 60s.

Weather permitting, the parade will form at the high school at 9 am and leave about 30 minutes later. It will end at the Town Hall about an hour later.

The parade will follow a familiar route: west on Lincoln Avenue, south on Upland Way to Barrington Avenue, where it will turn left and proceed to Maple Avenue. The marchers then will turn east and continue to the County Road traffic light near the south entrance circle at Town Hall.

On County Road, the parade will move north to the Town Hall Honor Roll. All units will form to face a speakers’ platform on the Town Hall lawn.

At the Honor Roll, Carusi and Codega will place a second wreath. The Boy Scouts will raise the flag under the direction of Frank Santoro, and the Rev. Perri will offer an invocation. 

Molly Williams of the Barrington High School chorus will lead the signing of the national anthem. The high school band, under the direction of Barbara Hughes, will provide music.

The police department rifle squad will fire a salute and Bledsoe and Greenberg again will play Taps and Echo.

Evan Shoaf will read "The Gettysburg Address." Juyeon Ha and Ana Proulx will lead the singing of "America the Beautiful.” 

Charles Brule, retired Army, will serve as emcee. Robert Smith will serve as honorary marshal. Town Council President June Speakman will say a few words. The principal speaker is Capt. James Quinn, retired Navy.

Ana Proulx will lead the signing of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." The Rev. Perri will close the ceremony with a benediction.

Here is the order of march and all participants:

First Division – Recognition

COLOR GUARD  -  BARRINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

HONORARY MARSHALL  -  ROBERT SMITH, VFW POST #9742

GUEST OF HONOR  -  CAPTAIN JAMES J. QUINN, USN. RET.

MARCHING UNIT  -  BARRINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

 NATIONAL AND STATE OFFICIALS

BARRINGTON TOWN COUNCIL

DEPARTMENT HEADS AND COMMITTEES

BARRINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

HOLY ROSARY BAND

STATE FLAGS PRESENTATION - GIRL SCOUTS

BARRINGTON PRESERVATION SOCIETY

BARRINGTON-WARREN ROTARY CLUB

BARRINGTON DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE

BARRINGTON REPUBLICAN TOWN COMMITTEE - FLOAT

BARRINGTON COUNCIL OF REPUBLICAN WOMEN

SENIOR CITIZENS VEHICLES

ANTIQUE CARS

Second Division – Military Honor

BARRINGTON BOY SCOUTS TROOP #2 EAGLE SCOUTS

PAWTUXET RANGERS

BARRINGTON POST #9742 VFW

BARRINGTON POST #8 AMERICAN LEGION

DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS

AMERICAN FIELD SERVICES

MARINE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION (ANTIQUE AUTO)

DAR AND THE CHILDREN OF DAR

RI NATIONAL GUARD VEHICLES

BICYCLE PATROL: BARRINGTON POLICE DEPT.

Third Division: Civic Pride

BSA TROOP #2 – COLOR GUARD

BSA TROOP #2 – MARCHING UNIT

BARRINGTON HIGH SCHOOL BAND

BOY SCOUTS (COLOR GUARD)

CUB SCOUTS TROOPS – PACK #2 (A)

CUB SCOUTS TROOPS – PACK #2 (B)

BOY SCOUTS TROOPS

GIRL SCOUTS COLOR GUARD

DAISY TROOPS

BROWNIE TROOPS

GIRL SCOUTS TROOPS

LEADERS CLUB -YMCA

SWIM TEAM –YMCA

YMCA VAN

Fourth Division: Civic Pride

BARRINGTON GIRL SCOUTS COLOR GUARD

BARRINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND

BARRINGTON-WARREN ROTARY CLUB

WEST BARRINGTON MENS CLUB

BAR-ZAP COMMITTEE

BARRINGTON EDUCATION FOUNDATION

LITTLE LEAGUE PLAYERS

ALL OTHER SPORTS GROUPS

BARRINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

HAMPDEN MEADOWS VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

FIRE APPARATUS

ALL OTHER VEHICLES

For more information or if you have questions about your unit, contact Tripp at 434-7200. If there is inclement weather, all marching units will report to the high school.