SAAC - Antique Autos in the 2007 Branford Memorial Day Parade

SAAC Presents:
Antique Autos in the 2007 Branford Memorial Day Parade - Monday, May 28th, Downtown Branford, CT
(This page created as of 11/15/2007)

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OVERVIEW - Branford Memorial Day Parade 2007

I admit it's taken me a while, finally to get my photos and notes together sufficiently to construct a review page about antique auto participation in the 2007 Branford Memorial Day Parade, on Monday, May 28th. There was, in fact, a significant antique auto turnout for the parade and ceremonies in town, and we are pleased to (hopefully) properly recognize the wonderful participation of all the antique auto folks in this day of remembering our country's soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

As has been our practice, we got the SAAC Calendar page (http://members.aol.com/saacregion/Calendar.html) updated with all the specifics of parade participation, that we received from the Branford Veterans Parade Committee (chaired by Mr. Thomas Yester). The pre-parade ceremonies were scheduled to get underway on the main Branford Green at 10:00am, during which time antique autos were invited to assemble on Blackstone Avenue (this is the diagonal one-way roadway that passes between the First Congregational Church, which is brick, and the First Baptist Church, which is white with black shutters), but facing the "wrong way" on Blackstone, such that the cars could easily drive out onto Main Street and join in the parade at the appointed time (we learned from past experience not to attempt driving up Blackstone from South Main, as there's usually an officer there who refuses to let us do it; instead we drive around to the Main Street end, and back our old cars down a bit). Diane elected to drive her yellow '73 Bug, with our three dogs, and our daughter Sarah in the car with her. Diane offered to me to drive her '73 Pinto Squire station wagon, which I readily accepted. Our son Matt was to be marching with his Boy Scout Troop in the parade (Troop 421, based at Trinity Episcopal Church). Diane's younger sister Pat didn't have her '64 Alfa Romeo sports car (http://members.aol.com/foxcraft/PPBlackAlfaRomeo.html) in running shape this time, so when we saw her by the antique auto assembly point (her husband Peter, who is an Iraq war veteran, was to be marching with other Branford veterans in the parade), I suggested she jump into the Pinto for the parade, which she did.

IMAGE AT UPPER RIGHT: Garry Waters has a unique handmade wooden miniature version of his '29 Ford attached to the front of his actual '29 Ford, directly in front of the radiator grille.

Another early-arriver at the antique autos assembly point was our long-time friend Garry Waters from Guilford, with his magnificent blue-with-black-fenders '29 Model A Ford Phaeton. Garry got his car parked in light right behind our Pinto, at the edge of Blackstone Avenue. A short time after Garry's arrival, the Stony Creek Poolers drove up in a super-nice 1955 Ford Fairlane convertible in two tone blue & white--what a slick ride--and one that we'd never seen previously!

While the three-Ford-and-one-VW lineup of antiques sat staged and ready for the parade to start, I next took a walk around to observe the ceremonies on the main Green and also to scope out other antique machines that were staged for participation at other points in the parade lineup. I next ran across James Walsh's beautiful 1929 Model A Ford coupe, parked along the edge of Town Hall Drive, adjacent to the Green. Mr. Walsh often drives his magnificent maroon & black antique Ford as part of the Branford Elks Lodge #1939 contingent in the parade, and often has his grandchildren in the rumble seat, and a war veteran with him in the passenger seat (a photo appears on the Lodge #1939 photo gallery page: http://www.elks.org/lodges/PhotoGallery.cfm?LodgeNumber=1939&Start=1). Magnetic signage on Mr. Walsh's car said it all: "In Memory of Our Absent Brothers and Sisters."

Branford Memorial Day Parade, Monday, May 28, 2007 Next, parked at the corner of Main and Montowese, was a positively spectacular vintage "Maxim" ladder truck, sporting Branford Ladder Company 1 markings. From a study of the "Beyond The Fire Line" web site, it was learned that Maxims were manufactured in Middleboro, Massachusetts, and that Branford used Maxim fire apparatus exclusively for nearly two decades. From what we could see, this particular Maxim resembled "Branford Truck 1," identified as a 1936 Maxim, per photos and identification listed on this page: http://www.beyondthefireline.com/contactus.html . There is a great deal of interesting history about the origins of the Maxim company on the Beyond The Fire Line site ("Honoring The History & Tradition Of Firefighting" - presented by Dorrance Johnson, Fire Department Historian and Photographer; website design by Mary Johnson), plus numerous historical photos of many different engines--it is well worth the visit: http://www.beyondthefireline.com/index.html .

Along Main Street itself, where vehicles associated with the many veterans units and support groups were parked, we noticed a kool, beautifully constructed "T-bucket" open hot rod in metallic blue, with a banner on the back reading "American Legion Auxiliary Post 83, President: Fran Cudgma." It even had a CT vanity plate "DK-STAR." We found an online web site for the Branford-based American Legion Post 83, which was located at: http://www.americanlegion83.com/ , where much more information about this very honorable and patriotic wartime veterans-focused support and public service organization and the good works it does, is viewable (national American Legion site: http://www.legion.org/ ). A couple more cars away on Main Street was a magnificent vintage flat-fendered military Jeep in olive drab, and full military markings, not to mention a machine gun mounted in back of the driver & passenger. While I took the time to try and get photos of these vehicles, I could see & hear the solemn ceremonies on the Green directly adjacent, dedicated to the departed soldiers, and took time to listen and think about the words.

IMAGE AT THE UPPER RIGHT: Our daughter Sarah sits in the back seat of her mother's yellow '73 VW before the start of the parade, with our three dogs in the car with her. The VW is parked along the edge of Blackstone Avenue in this image. The dogs in the car with Sarah were: Angelo the smooth collie (right rear passnger), Roxy the rough collie (left rear passenger), and Lana the mini-poodle (right front passenger). They all look like they're ready for the parade to get under way...

JEEP UPDATE: As this page was being worked on, near completion, actually, the latest issue of the Branford-focused local newspaper, "The Sound" (http://thesoundnewspaper.com/) was received in the mail, and, what do you know, the flat-fendered military Jeep that was mentioned above, from the 2007 Branford Memorial Day Parade, was featured on the cover of the November 15, 2007 edition of The Sound, in connection with the recent 2007 Branford Veterans Day Parade (Sunday, November 11, 2007). The headline above the picture read: "Honoring Those Who Served." The caption for the picture read as follows: "Chilly temps were offset by the sunny skies and warm feelings as the Branford Veterans Day Parade kicked off last Sunday. Walter 'Sergeant Z' Zielinski and Branford Hobby Shop owner Mark Castiglione, supplier of this restored 1945 U.S. Army Jeep, were just some of the hundreds of vets and participants in this year's parade." The photo credit read: "Photo by Ben Rayner." The image to the right is a scan I made of our copy of that particular "The Sound" issue's front cover, and if you click directly on the inage (or HERE) you will bring up a higher-resolution scan of how the photo & caption appeared on the cover of the November 15, 2007 issue of The Sound. Hats off to The Sound staff for choosing to feature this story, and reminding us of what our town's Veterans' observances are all about.

Finally it was time for the parade to get underway. As there were all the veterans units, Scout troops, and other honorable organizations ahead of us in the parade, there was time for me to grab a few pictures of some of them as they paraded by in front of where our old cars were parked. I was able to get a picture of that previously mentioned military jeep doing its job of transporting uniformed veterans honorably along, amongst other uniformed marching veterans' units. Right behind the jeep were the First and Second Selectmen of Branford, followed by the Stony Creek Fife and Drum Corps (http://stonycreekdrumcorps.org/).

Soon it was our turn. The police officer stationed in front of us at the corner of Main and Blackstone managed to get the spectators to part, allowing first the Elks Lodge people and Mr. Walsh's Model A to head out into the parade, and then he motioned to us to follow, which we did. As it always is, driving in the Branford Memorial Day Parade was a thrilling experience, waving our flags and blowing the car horn, as we drove along. We also heard the historic "Totokets" Fife and Drum Corps, who were marching and playing right behind our group of antique autos (our friend Lynn is a long-time Totokets member).

Branford Memorial Day Parade, Monday, May 28, 2007 The westward extent of the parade route was North Harbor Street (across from the Richlin plaza), where everyone came to a stop, waiting for the "tail" of the parade to pass, and the "head" to be able to continue back out from Bradley Street, in the eastward direction. Eventually we were back underway toward the Green again, with much more flag-waving and horn-blowing as we drove along. Passing by the Blackstone Library, I noticed the familiar orange shape of an antique Volkswagen Type 181 "Thing," and took my camera out to snap a picture (from the driver's seat of the Pinto). Later on in July, I was to find out that this particular VW Thing was a '73 model, owned by Mr. Frank Pandolfi of East Haven, when he showed up with it at the "Time Machines 2007" antique car event in Durham, CT. A photo of Mr. P's VW Thing at Time Machines appears on my VW participation review page, located at: http://members.aol.com/cgextras/TimeMachines2007.html .

IMAGE AT UPPER RIGHT: I was standing near the Richlin shopping center and used the zoom feature on my camera to capture this view of the Branford '36 Maxim ladder truck approaching in the distance, followed by the Branford '53 Maxim, and then other modern Branford fire trucks.

Eventually we made it past the reviewing stand at the front of the Green, saluted to the town officials and dignitaries, and pulled over to remove the flags and ribbons from our cars, collect up our Boy Scout, and then head back home.

At this time in our country's history it seems perhaps more important than ever to recognize and honor the great sacrifices made by our country's military, that ensure we can go about living our daily lives. We wish to sincerely thank the Branford Veterans Parade Committee once again for their so graciously inviting antique autos to participate in the 2007 Branford Memorial Day Parade, and hope to be able to do it again next year.

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PHOTO GALLERY - Branford Memorial Day Parade 2007

BELOW: This is what Memorial Day is all about--remembering and honoring our country's fallen soldiers. This scene was from during the pre-parade ceremonies on the Branford Green. The Branford Town Hall (white building with columns, ref: http://www.branford-ct.gov/) is prominent in the left background, and slightly visible in the right background is the brick side of the First Congregational Church.