Hundreds, including veterans, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, dance and karate groups, high school bands, plus a sprinkling of elected officials, participated in yesterday’s Memorial Day Parade, which started in the Hendricken parking lot and ended less than a mile later in the front of Warwick Veterans High School.

Due to the event having so many moving parts, it was no surprise that there were more than a few difficulties along the way.

Coordinator Tony Rodrigues was thrown a curveball when he discovered a Hendricken baseball game was going on at the same time the parade was lining up. It made for lots of traffic and as Rodigues put it, “a ball of confusion.”

To make matters worse, the Vets Band that was expected to lead the march wasn’t there at the scheduled start. Rodrigues checked his cell phone for messages and finally started the parade without Vets. The band showed up in time to bring up the rear of the line of march.

But that didn’t matter to Nicholas Calderiso, a World War II veteran who served from 1941 to 1945, and was marching for his first time in the Memorial Day Parade. For him, it was just important that we “honor the vets.”

Christine Kelley, the first female major in the Warwick Police Department, served as parade grand marshal. Kelley marched with the police detail, a white sash across her shoulder.

“We are here to honor all the sacrifices made by our veterans in war,” she said as marchers lined up.

“Compared to the past years,” said submarine vet Paul Kelley, who was a large part of putting together the parade, “the turnout of this year’s parade was significantly better.”

But, despite this upturn in spectators, there was, in his view, “way too many veterans on the sidewalks that ought to have been marching,” something that “bothers” him.

Bobby “Whatsup” Michaud, dressed in fatigues and carrying a flag, attributed the lack of marching vets “to bad knees.” Michaud served in the Navy from 1979 to 1985 and is a member of VFW Post 183. He said he’s seen a decline in VFW membership, which, in part, he thought could be “a lack of young people joining the military.”

Despite the disappointment that more veterans didn’t march, the parade turned out to be quite the success. The weather was good, the people were thankful and even the Warwick Vets band made up for their late arrival with a stellar performance of “Taps” by students Oliver Pinheiro and Gianni Iannotta, serving as an emotional touch to finish off a memorable morning of marching, music, and remembrance.

Carter Thomas Jr., who served three tours – two in Iraq and one in Bosnia – commented on what he thought the meaning of Memorial Day was: to serve as a reminder that “freedom is not free, and that sacrifices have to be paid for it.”

The parade, for Fred Adams – who served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars from 1951 to 1971 – also serves as a reminder that “it is not about us, but those who passed away.”

At the end of the day, it was this kind of humility and reverence that was in no short order from the veterans in attendance, which made for a truly special event, where – despite the setbacks – the memories of those who lost there lives in the line of duty were respected, honored, and passed on.