Celebrating the 10th anniversary with a parade.

Byline: Jan Gottesman

Tradition says the 10th anniversary gift is tin or aluminum.

In Clinton, the tradition is red, white and blue.

Olde Home Day, a tradition that began during the celebration of Clinton's 350th birthday in 2000, will be celebrated in a two-day extravaganza Sept. 11 and 12. Given that Sept. 11 is the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, and the fact that some of those planes originated in Massachusetts, the idea gelled that Clinton's 10th annual Olde Home Day should honor those who not only lost their lives, but those who helped survivors and those who have given their all to keep Americans safe and fight terror across the globe.

A "United in Memory" parade and flag-raising ceremony will mark the event.

The parade will step off at 9:11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, from Fuller Field, then proceed up High, Union and Walnut streets and end at the Corcoran House at around 10 a.m. for a flag-raising ceremony.

Olde Home Day co-Chairman William McNally had a kernel of an idea for the ceremony, which has increased to be an event that will likely be the largest 9-11 ceremony in Massachusetts.

"The cooperation, donations of money, time and services that we have received after we announced our intent to honor the police, firefighters and veterans has been fantastic. We started with ideas for a little ceremony and that has just kept growing," McNally said.

Those involved in the parade include:

Ancients Fife and Drum Companie, from Sudbury, which is coming at a reduced rate;

The National Guard in Leominster (Color Guard, vehicles and NASCAR display);

Surabian Advertising of Worcester (reduced its cost for the 9-11 and veterans banners);

Lancaster American Legion Post #98 (30 to 40 veterans will march in the parade);

Turners (will have a special float in the parade);

Corcoran House (donated the Pentagon Flag and offered use of property and will help with refreshments for parade participants);

Sen. Harriette Chandler (trackless train for the parade);

Harold Vanasse and Pat McIntyre (donating their time and services);

Clinton Savings Bank (shuttle bus service to and from the parade, plus all day long for Olde Home Day);

Clinton Exchange Club (passing out American flags at the start of the parade); and

PAV (firing detail).

"Many of our town departments have gone out of their way to help make this program something that the people and Town of Clinton will be proud of," McNally said, noting the DPW, School Department, public safety and town hall employees have also donated time and talent.

"We would also like to thank the Clinton Tire company next to Fuller Field for stepping up and offering the use of their bathroom facilities for the police, firefighters, veterans and political leaders, both local and statewide, who will be attending and for anyone in the parade staging area on Worcester Street who may need it."

The event will be a proper honor for the sacrifice from the terrorist attacks, McNally said.

"Over 3,000 people from 90 different countries were killed on 9-11," McNally said. "Nypro Corporation, which has operation in many of those 90 countries, is the main sponsor of this event. Thanks to our friends at Nypro, at 9 a.m. and until the parade arrives, patriotic music will be performed on High Street by the Mad Bavarian All American Brass Band."

Parade in three

divisions

The parade will consist of three divisions, McNally said.

The first division will be to salute, honor and remember the police officers, firefighters, EMTs, military personnel and the 3,000-plus people who lost their lives during the attack.

"The First Division of the Parade will be led by the Clinton Police color guard," McNally said. Local and State political leaders have also been invited to take part in the parade and to honor the participants.

Brothers Ryan and Connor Fabrycki, of Sturbridge, will play bagpipes, preceding a special new 9-11 banner that the Olde Home Day Committee created, McNally said.

"This and the other banners were produced just for this event with the help, creativity and extra special dedication by Ed Kachajian from Surabian Advertising of Worcester," McNally said. The banner will be followed by four people selected to represent the 468 police, fire, military and EMTs who died on Sept. 11, 2001.

"Corcoran House has purchased and donated an American flag that was flown over the Pentagon during the 9-11 Memorial Dedication in 2008," McNally said. "State Rep. Harold Naughton Jr., a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves who served in Iraq, will represent the 55 military personnel who died at the Pentagon and will carry the flag. P.J. Chamberlain will represent the 343 firefighters; Jason Burton will represent the 10 EMTs and paramedics. And Brian Coyne will represent the 60 police officers.

"The four representatives will be followed by current members and vehicles of the firefighters and police departments from Clinton and surrounding towns."

Division two of the parade will honor and remember the over 4,300 military personnel who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan and all other veterans. A special banner honoring all veterans has also been created by the Clinton Olde Home Day Committee and will make its first appearance in this parade. The Clinton PAV Color guard, the AFROTC Strike Eagles Honor Guard from Worcester and a color guard from the Massachusetts Army National Guard will be represented in the second division. The Sudbury Ancients Fife and Drum Companie will provide the marching music for the military unit and veterans.

"They will represent our first veterans, the Minuteman, and will be joined by current veterans from Clinton and area towns," McNally said. A large contingent of veterans from the Lancaster American Legion Post #96 will also take part in the parade.

All veterans from Clinton and area towns are welcomed and encouraged to march and should be at Fuller Field by 8 a.m., or to join the group at the park for the flag-raising ceremony if unable to march the entire route, McNally said.

"We must look to the future knowing that we can never forget the past," McNally said. "With that in mind, the third division of the parade will reflect Clinton's small town America values and that the American spirit, while challenged, must move on and look to the future. That future is our children, families and our community.

"The third division will contain the Clinton High School Band, the Clinton Middle School Band, a trackless train, Scouts, Moo-Moo the Cow from Davis' Farmland, costumed characters and Olde Home Day performers, including a Princess and her Prince Charming, plus the antique engine 5 Fire Truck and a few other surprises."

Local youth groups are invited to participate in this division. Turners will have a 40-foot float. Decorated bikes and doll carriages are also welcomed and encouraged, McNally said.

"The first division is going to be solemn, then we pick it up a bit with the second division," McNally said. "The third division will be more upbeat."

Flag-raising

Former Clinton Selectman and Army veteran Harold Vanasse will be the master of ceremonies. Pat McIntyre will provide the sound system for the program.

The ceremony will start with the playing of "Yankee Doodle" by the president's own fife and drum corp.

"This is the same music that is played to greet dignitaries at special functions at the White House," McNally said.

Father Thomas Walsh from St. John's Parish in Clinton will offer an opening prayer followed by a moment of silence. That will be followed by a procession, involving the four people selected to represent the 468 public servants killed on 9-11.

"They will pass through a column of firefighters, police officers and military veterans on Walnut Street and proceed to the flagpole in front of the Corcoran House. The firefighters, police officers and military veterans will follow them to the flagpole," McNally said.

The flag will be raised and then lowered to half staff to the bugle call of "To the colors." A rifle salute by the PAV honor guard will be followed by the playing of "Taps" to remember all who have died in the service of their country, McNally said.

The Clinton High School Band will perform the national anthem.

"We will end the ceremony with a moving rendition of `Let There Be Peace on Earth' by the Mad Bavarian Brass Band, McNally said.

In the event of bad weather, the event will have to be canceled until next year.

"It will be impossible to reschedule all of the events, groups and people that will be involved," McNally said, but he noted that no Olde Home Day program has been canceled for rain in the event's 10-year history, and the committee is saying extra prayers to ensure this year will be no different.

"The Olde Home Day Committee encourages all townspeople, friends, veterans and their children to plan ahead and honor our brave public servants and military veterans on this special day by turning out for the parade along High Street and/or to attend the flag-raising ceremony at the Corcoran House," he said. "After the ceremony, you are invited to meet and greet old friends, make some new ones and spend an all-American family fun day as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Clinton Olde Home Day program in Central Park, America's oldest public park."

Diana Doering, a member of the Olde Home Day Committee, said she is very excited about the parade.

"Bill has single-handedly put this together," Doering said, calling the event his "baby."

"He has been able to secure extra help from other organizations around town to help him coordinate this on parade day. I'm very proud to serve with him on our team," Doering said.

"This should be an extraordinary day in an extraordinary town," he said, adding, "God bless America, and to our firefighters, police, EMTs and military personnel, once again, we thank you for your service and our protection."

ART: PHOTOS

CUTLINE: (1) This banner will preceed the parade's first division and remember police officers, firefighters, EMTs, military personnel and the 3,000-plus people who lost their lives during the terrorist attack. (2) This banner will be part of the second division of the parade, honoring veterans. (3) The third division banner will honor Clinton's present and future.