Weather forecast cancels John Basilone Memorial Parade
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Update: The John Basilone Memorial Parade scheduled Sunday in Raritan Borough has been canceled due to the weather forecast, event organizers announced Friday.
The parade committee will meet in a few days to discuss a possible alternate date for this year, organizers said.
RARITAN BOROUGH – The John Basilone Memorial Parade, one of Central Jersey's biggest annual events, will be attracting thousands to the borough on Sunday.
It's the only parade in the United States that honors a war hero, borough resident John Basilone, whose exploits were celebrated in the HBO series, "The Pacific."
Who was John Basilone?
Basilone, who grew up in Raritan, was a Marine sergeant who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his gallant action during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942 when during brutal fighting with heavy casualties on both sides, he killed at least 38 Japanese soldiers.
After he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, Basilone refused an offer to remain on the homefront and instead asked to be stationed in the Pacific. He was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for more heroism in the Battle of Iwo Jima where he was killed in 1945.
Who is grand marshal of the John Basilone Parade?
This year's grand marshal is Archie Fagan, a World War II veteran who participated in the Battle of the Bulge and the Liberation of the Dachau concentration camp.
Who are the John Basilone Parade special guests?
Loretta Swit, who portrayed Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H, for which she won two Emmy Awards, will be in this year's parade.
Retired Marine Corps Gen. Ronald S. Coleman will be the speaker at the ceremony at the end of the parade. In 2006 Coleman became the second Black person in the Marine Corps to reach the 3-star rank.
What time is the John Basilone Parade?
The parade starts at 1 p.m. Sunday at train station. The parade lasts until 2:30 p.m. Right after the parade there is a ceremony and speech at the Basilone statue at the west end of Somerset Street.
What's the John Basilone Parade route?
The parade leaves the train station and proceeds to Thompson Street, then moves to LaGrange Street, then comes out on Somerset Street at Reimer Street. The parade then marches west on Somerset Street to Gaston Avenue. Each marching unit will be announced at the corner of Somerset and Doughty street.
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Where is John Basilone Parade parking?
Spectators can park at Lab Corp. on First Avenue or at any of the three banks on Somerset Street. Somerset Street will be closed to traffic at 12:30 p.m.
Who is marching in the John Basilone Parade?
Among the marchers will be various military and veterans groups, including Chapter 27 Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Bridgewater-Raritan High School Marching Band, the Somerville High School Marching Band, elected officials, area fire departments, the Italian-American Club of Hunterdon County and the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh Old Bridge.
Manila Madness 5K
Every year, on the weekend of the Basilone Parade, the Basilone Memorial Foundation presents the Manila Madness 5K Race to benefit the Steeplechase Cancer Center Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, RWJBarnabas Health and the Fischer House Foundation for Veterans. The race through the streets of Raritan will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Basilone statue. Registration is $30 and ends at noon Friday.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: John Basilone Memorial Parade canceled due to weather forecast
