"They break the rules, they break our feelings. Everything goes down with the budget."

NOTE from Larry Scott, VA Watchdog dot Org ... This is a sad story that will be repeated in many cities around the country ... a Sign of the Times.

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No Memorial Day parade in Brockton

By Elaine Allegrini

BROCKTON - Helen Hall placed flowers at Melrose Cemetery to remember her late parents and daughter as Memorial Day approaches, but her plans to walk to the annual parade fell apart when she learned there would not be one this year.

“I never missed one,” said Hall, whose son is a disabled veteran. “I’m going to cry, I walk miles to get there every year.”

Instead of a parade, there will be a service at the memorial on Legion Parkway.

Susan Curry, secretary of the Veterans Council, said the $9,000 in city veterans affairs budget is not sufficient to cover two parades — Veterans Day and Memorial Day, so the budget is usually supplemented. This year, that did not happen. There was no veterans affairs director and the mayor didn’t respond in time.

“I got a call from the mayor on Friday, it was too late,” said Curry.

She said the mayor’s office was called prior to April when the bands are generally hired. It typically costs $2,000 to $3,000 for a band.

Harrington was not available for comment Monday. Communication Director Moises Rodrigues and Chief of Staff Donna Daley did not return numerous phone calls.

“We were upset, but you can only do so much,” said Curry.

Veterans Agent Robert Gale had been out sick since July 2007 and took a disability retirement earlier this year. Meanwhile, Robert Martin served as acting veterans service director at the same time as doing his job as the mayor’s human services director. He was injured in the car crash in December but returned to work in the spring, only to have his job in the mayor’s office eliminated last month.

David Farrell was confirmed last week as the veterans services director, but is on vacation.

“There was no excuse,” said Richard Hand of the Disabled American Veterans, who is active in veterans affairs.

The traditional ceremony at the memorial will include the Brockton High School Band and ROTC along with the mayor, former city council George Cataldo and Farrell, the new veterans services director.

Elsie Cadorette will be at the ceremony, but she would have preferred the parade that has become a tradition since losing her son in combat in 1968.

“I think it’s a shame, really,” said Cadorette, 83. “I’m disappointed.”

Clayton Jaynes, commander-elect of the Chapter 76 DAV of Brockton, said the city has had a parade as long as he can remember.

He was placing flags on veterans graves at Melrose Cemetery Monday with Jack O’Connor, who works in the city’s veterans office. The budget did allow for flags on all veterans graves, plus markers for memorials and posts, veterans leaders said.

O’Connor said he hasn’t received any calls about the lack of a parade, probably because people don’t yet realize it won’t be happening.

But, attendance has dropped through the years, he said, probably because it’s a three-day weekend and people go out of town.

The city of Newton recently moved its parade to the weekend before the holiday to get more people to attend. Other towns, however, carry on with traditional parades and ceremonies.

“Attendance is better each year,” said Steve Nolan, Easton’s veterans agent. Bridgewater, Avon, Wareham and Halifax are planning a parade for Monday. And, ceremonies are planned in East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater and Taunton.

Manuel Fontes of Brockton was at the cemetery Monday, visiting a family grave in anticipation of Monday’s day of remembrance. When he heard there was no parade, he was stunned.

“They break the rules, they break our feelings,” he said. “Everything goes down with the budget.”

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TOPICS: veterans, veterans' benefits, VA, Department of Veterans' Affairs, Memorial Day