Norwalk vets honored at parade By JILL BODACH Hour Staff Writer NORWALK -- Members of the Greatest Generation were honored Monday at the Memorial Day parade, and at the head of this group of distinguished veterans was Earl Carpenter, a lifelong Norwalk resident and retired deputy chief of the Norwalk Fire Department, who was the grand marshal of the parade. Carpenter joined the Marines in 1942 and was sent to Paris Island, South Carolina. Following basic training, Carpenter was sent to the Panama Canal with a unit of reinforcements for troops currently stationed there. He spent 27 months as a member guarding the area. When his 27 months were up, Carpenter was sent to Camp Lejeune where he was on military police duty and later served as a recruitment officer for the Marines in Iowa. Carpenter joined the inactive reserves when his four years of service were completed to maintain his rank of platoon sergeant. He never imagined he'd be called to duty again. "I had just joined the fire department when I was called back to Camp Lejeune," Carpenter said. "They called the inactive reserves before the active reserves for reasons I didn't understand." But since Carpenter had served more than 90 days in active service, he was allowed to return home to his wife, Marjorie, and their two young children. Carpenter worked at the fire department for 31 years and retired as a deputy chief in 1980. Although he's been retired for 24 years, he has remained active within the city, including serving on the Board of Police Commissioners, as a member of the East Norwalk Improvement Association and East Norwalk Historic Cemetery Committee, a member of the East Avenue United Methodist Church and a member of the Marine Corps League. While riding at the head of the parade in a shiny red convertible was a comfortable way to travel, Carpenter's heart was a little further back in the parade line where 18 other members of the Marine Corps League's Mahackemo Detachment of which Carpenter is the commandant were riding in a military service vehicle draped in Marine Corps flags bearing their motto "Semper Fi." "It's a great honor to be asked to serve as the grand marshal, and I'm glad so many members of the Marine Corps League could be here with me today," Carpenter said. "I really do feel a renewed sense of patriotism among everyone because of the war in Iraq. I just wish kids learned about World War II the way they used to." Several members of Carpenter's family were also present for his special day, including his daughter, granddaughter, their spouses, son and his two great-granddaughters. Carpenter's mother, who is 104, celebrated the holiday with her family at a barbecue Saturday afternoon. Several other military groups joined Carpenter in a tribute to World War II and other veterans. The Second Company of the Governor's Horse Guard out of Newtown served as the honor guard in the parade. The 12 members of the guard had the job of protecting the colors of the United States as well as the flag of the state of Connecticut in Monday's parade. The Governor's Horse Guard was created in 1806 when Connecticut had two capitals, Hartford and New Haven, and the governor hired the guard to protect him as he traveled between the two cities. Members of the guard were also called to war during World War I and served as members of the Rough Riders. Traveling even further then, the Horse Guard members were the 12 members of the Greater Hartford Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association. "It's in our credo to support our brothers, so that's why we're here," president Paul Poirier said. "It's all about showing our support." Approximately 10 members of the U.S.S. Missouri Association also marched in the parade, even though none of their members are from Connecticut. John Sullivan, the president of the association, was on board the U.S.S. Missouri when it was commissioned on June 11,1944, and when the treaty was signed with Japan on Sept. 2, 1945. For Sullivan and other members of the association, being part of the Memorial Day Parade is about remembering veterans and showing pride in their country. "We enjoy getting together to reunite with old friends and to show our support to our fellow veterans," Sullivan said. "We really enjoy the camaraderie we feel when we come to Norwalk." Numerous other non-military groups marched in the parade, as well as elected officials, police and fire departments, middle and high school marching bands, nonprofit organizations and school groups. Mayor Alex Knopp was pleased with the turnout for the parade after last year's washout. "It's a beautiful sunny day and a wonderful tribute to our veterans on this 60th anniversary of D-Day and the dedication of the World War II memorial," Knopp said. "It's a great outpouring from the community and a feeling of patriotism and support for our vets." Will Perez Sr., whose son Wilfredo Perez Jr. was killed last year in Iraq, was disappointed that his son wasn't honored as part of the parade. "I thought the Memorial Day parade was to honor veterans who died," Will Sr. said. "It was a year ago he died, and I thought this would be the year that he was honored." The younger Perez is Norwalk's only Iraq war casualty to this time. He was honored in a ceremony at the Shea-Magrath Memorial at Calf Pasture Beach on May 23. Terry Rooney said that the parade has never honored an individual, choosing instead each year to honor a group. The honored group this year was World War II veterans. The observance of Memorial Day began on May 30, 1868, through a proclamation issued by Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers. It was originally known as Decoration Day and honored the nation's deceased Civil War soldiers by decorating their graves. During the first Decoration Day celebration, the graves of more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were decorated by over 5,000 people after a speech by Gen. James Garfield at Arlington National Cemetery.