GLOVERSVILLE – Vietnam veteran Richard Dingman takes the time during each year’s Memorial Day parade to remember his fallen friends.
He recalls a “buddy system” with a group of eight men during his service from 1974-75.
“I was the only one to come home. It’s a remembrance of all the friends I lost in Vietnam,” Dingman said of the city parade, which he watched Monday in Gloversville.
People lined up on Kingsboro Avenue, many dressed in red, white and blue, for the annual event.
The parade began on Sixth Avenue and ended on West Fulton Street at the entrance of Prospect Hill Cemetery.
Four men served as grand marshals for the parade: World War II veterans Harold Gordan, Ambrose “Cowboy” Anderson, Lester “Stubby” Bellinger and Barret Silverman.
Brianna VanEvery from Gloversville brought her daughter for the first time.
Two-year-old Austyn was excited to watch the parade, which included military veterans, emergency vehicles, marching bands, stunts by Kids in Motion Gymnastics and the Twin City Twisters, representatives of local nonprofit organizations, youth sports leagues and many other groups.
Local school bands performed.
Isbelle Koelbl of Mayfield attended the Gloversville parade for the first time. She usually goes to Lake George with her family for the holiday.
“I have a friend in the parade this year,” Koelbl said.
She sat next to her friend Sean Foreman, who is also from Mayfield.
“We came because my brother’s in the band,” he said.
Children cheered and clapped when a fire truck or ambulance sounded an alarm.
Elijah Partridge of Amsterdam stood on the curb to watch the parade with his son.
“Every year, it gets better and better,” Partridge said.
The mascot from the Amsterdam-based Mohawks baseball team waved. Employees from High Rollers handed out fliers while skating down the street.
Dingman peered into the crowd and noticed most of his neighborhood was in attendance.
“I’ve lived in Gloversville forever and I plan on dying here,” he said.
