Memorial Day Committee Releases More Information

and parade will take place Sunday, May 27. Ceremonies will commence promptly at 10:30 a.m. at the Field. will follow the ceremony down Orange Center Road past the reviewing stand with services following at the

The public is invited to join in honoring our nation’s veterans. In the event of rain, exercises will be held in the Auditorium.

On April 20, Orange Patch announced this year's ceremony honorees and the request for WWII Veterans to come forward to be recognized on this special day.

Now, the Memorial Day Committee has provided the biographies of the Grand Marshal, honorary Chief of Staff and Keynote Speaker.

Grand Marshal Lt. Col. James M. White

Lieutenant Col. James M. White (U.S. Army, Retired) will be the Grand Marshal at the Orange Memorial Day ceremonies and parade Sunday, May 27, at the Field. The ceremony starts at 10:30 a.m.

Lieutenant Col. White began his military career in 1953 when he enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, Infantry, in 1960 upon graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Following graduation, he served in the demilitarized zone in Korea; Berlin during the Berlin Crisis; two tours in Viet-Nam (Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, 3 oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, Commendation Medal, with oak leaf cluster) and Saudi Arabia.

Additionally, he had over ten stateside assignments. He commanded units from platoon to battalion level and was a general staff officer for a division, a corps, and a joint command. He also served as professor of Military Science at Hofstra University, LI., NY. He retired from the Army in 1982.

Honorary Chief of Staff Vito DeVito

Vito J. DeVito, a World War II Army Veteran, will be the honorary chief of staff. He served in the 3rd Army in Europe under General George S. Patton. A shrapnel wound put him in a French hospital for a month earning him the Purple Heart.

The is inviting all veterans and their families to attend the parade.

Keynote Speaker the Rev. Ann Ritonia

The keynote speaker will be the Reverend Ann M. Ritonia, Rector of the in Orange. She is a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran serving from 1979-2007, attaining the rank of Major. While in the Marines, she was Commanding Officer of the Marine Wing Support Detachment in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

After her service, she became the Chaplain of the Marine Corps League Detachment in Loudoun County, Va.

WWII Veterans Sought

The Honored Veterans this year will be all veterans, living and deceased, who served in World War II. A sign up form is available at the in the First Selectman’s Office as well as on the town’s website at www.orange-ct.gov for each veteran. (Also attached to this story) You can also contact the parade coordinator Kevin Gilbert at 203-795-4647 or 203-795-2417 or the parade secretary, Karen Goldberg, at 203-891-4738 who will take your information.