– Photos by Donald Norton

The annual Memorial Day Ceremonies began under sunny skies at 8 a.m. at the American Legion Post #19, with a short procession down Highland Ave. to the Central Library, placing wreaths on monuments along Central Hill Park.

The events were sponsored by the Somerville Veterans Services Department, Somerville Allied Veterans’ Council, and the City of Somerville.

The  Memorial Day Parade which started at the City Hall concourse at 1:00 p.m., included 22 marching bands, along with a wide range of community and school groups, specialty unit from the Aleppo Shriners, and local veterans’, fire, and police outfits from surrounding cities and towns. The parade  continued  down Highland Ave. to the Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Teele Square.

The 2011 Parade Grand Marshall, Joseph Piro, is a World War II Veteran, and at 100 years of age, is a lifelong Somerville resident.  Mr. Piro served for three years during WWII with the 761st Medical Collecting Company of the U.S. Army as a Tec 5, in Sicily, Rome, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe.  He is recipient of numerous honors, including:  the Good Conduct Medal; Presidential Unit Citation; European African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign with Bronze Service Arrowhead.  He was honorably discharged in 1945.