The 56th Annual Wellesley Veterans Parade, an annual highlight of Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend, starts at 1pm Sunday near the intersection of Rtes. 16 and 9 and heads into Wellesley Square, wrapping up by 3pm.
This year’s line of march features familiar and new participants, including a flyover by a 1944 L5 Sentinel WWII Air ambulance from the American Heritage Museum in Hudson (sponsored by the Community Fund for Wellesley). The parade’s theme: 200th Anniversary of Modern Battlefield Medicine Advancements.
The line-up:
- Wellesley Police Cruiser – Start of Parade
- 1945 Dodge Oil Truck
- Master of Ceremonies – Tory DeFazio
- Wellesley Friendly Aid Association
- Natick Legion Band (Sponsored by: Haynes Management)
- Color Guard – Navy
- Color Guard – Marines
- Color Guard – Air Force
- DAV – Disabled American Veterans Color Guard
- Col Henry Knox Regimental Color Guard (Sponsored by: Community Fund for Wellesley)
- American Heritage Museum Halftrack
- Sponsored by: Wellesley Country Club
- Chief of Staff – John McReynolds, PO2, USN (Retired)
- Bus for Veterans – Old Town Trolley Tours of Boston (Sponsored by Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club)
- American Red Cross
- World War I Ambulance
- World War II Ambulance
- Coastal Ambulance
- Boston Police Gaelic Column Bag Pipe Band (Sponsored by: Roche Bros.)
- Police Color Guard
- Police Chief – Jack Pilecki – Grand Marshal
- Wellesley Animal Control
- Norfolk County Sheriff’s Department
- Minuteman Model A Club of Sudbury (Sponsored by: Colonial Automotive Group)
- Bay State Antique Auto Club (Sponsored by: Dunkin’)
- Boston Firemen’s Band (Sponsored by: Cottage Restaurant)
- Car – Cottage Restaurant
- Troop 185 Wellesley – Carrying Flag
- Cub Scout Pack 185
- Cub Scout Pack 140
- Wellesley Cheer Teams
- Saint John School
- Fire Department – Color Guard
- Wellesley Fire Trucks
- Honoree – Special Recognition Award – Upham School
- Honoree – Special Recognition Award – Hardy School – 100th Anniversary
- Gangi Bay State Strutters (Sponsored by: Applied Behavioral Learning Services)
- Wellesley High School Band (Sponsored by: Residents of Wellesley)
- Wellesley Select Board
- Honoree – Community Service Award – Sheryl Strother
- Honoree – Distinguished Service Award – Ann Mara Lanza
- Council on Aging – Bus
- Wellesley Library Units
- Applied Behavioral Learning Services (ABLS)
- 26th Yankee Division Historical Reenactment Group (Sponsored by: Community Fund for Wellesley)
- North End Marching Band (Sponsored by: Needham Bank)
- DPW – Thank you Veterans Truck
- DPW Trucks
- Honoree – Deluxe Pizza
- BIG NAZO (Sponsored by: Newton-Wellesley Hospital)
- Honoree – Special Recognition – Mary Bowers
- Honoree – Community Service Award – Catherine Mirick
- Waltham American Legion Band (Sponsored by: Wellesley/Weston Magazine)
- Wellesley School Committee
- Aleppo Shriners – Clowns (Sponsored by: Babson College)
- Schofield Elementary School
- Roma Band Musicians (Sponsored by: Crosspoint Engineering)
- Bates Elementary School
- Fiske Elementary School (with Peter Pineo Tractor)
- Peter Pineo – Transportation
- Hardy Elementary School
- Hunnewell Elementary School
- The Reminisants (Sponsored by: Wellesley Mazda)
- Sprague Elementary School
- Wellesley Scholarship Foundation
- Wellesley Education Foundation
- Wellesley Mother’s Forum
- Yee’s Southern Lions (Sponsored by: Truly’s)
- Wellesley Chinese Language School
- Wellesley Chinese American Network
- Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club
- The New Liberty Jazz Band
- Rotary Club of Wellesley
- Honoree – Special Recognition Award – Cynthia Scott – Food Pantry
- WW2 Willy Jeep 5-ton Army Truck – Driver – Adam Bagdis
Jarvis Appliance - Wellesley Democratic Town Committee
- State Senator Cindy Creem
- Italian American Band (Sponsored by: Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club)
- Unitarian Universalist Society of Wellesley Hills
- Big Smile Entertainment/Peter Panic Unicyclist (Sponsored by: Kiwanis Club of Wellesley)
- Team Ultraviolet & the Ligerbots
- Cycling Murrays (Sponsored by: Sun Life)
- Natural Resources Commission
- Wellesley Conservation Land Trust
- Sustainable Wellesley
- Brookline Bank Vehicle
- Wellesley Lions Club – Lions Club Eyemobile (Sponsored by: Brookline Bank)
- Wellesley Society of Artists
- Honoree – Faber Rug
- Mainely Drafts Horse and Carriage
- Honoree – Village Church
- Sweeper
- Loaded Dice Band (Sponsored by: Middlesex Bank)
- Honoree – Special Recognition Award – Henry Platt
- Forte Parts Connection – Antique Car
- Postcomers of Wellesley
- Wellesley Historical Commission
- Parade Banner Walkers (Sponsor: Wellesley Historical Society)
- Wellesley Historical Society
- Tony Barrie Band (Sponsored by: Wellesley Historical Society)
- Le Regiment Bourbonnais (Sponsored by: Mass Bay Community College)
- Royal Irish Artillery (Sponsored by: Boston Veterinary Clinic)
- TANK and other military equipment – Tim Morine (Sponsored by: Haynes Management)
- Hubbardston Militia 1774 Herbal Medical (Sponsored by: Wellesley College)
- Jeeps and Troop 5-ton Troop Hauler – 2024-Bmy m925a2 (Sponsored by: Community Fund for Wellesley)
- Aleppo – Drifters (Sponsored by: Wellesley Toyota)
- Windjammers (Sponsored by: David Donohue Family)
- Mack Truck – Teamsters Local 25
- Wellesley Theatre Project
- Wellesley Celebrations Committee
- Wellesley Police Cruiser – End of Parade
