VFW Life Member Named Grand Marshal of Pittsfield July 4th Parade
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Tony Pastore has been named the grand marshal for 2016 July 4th parade.
Pastore is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He is also a member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and American Legion Post 68 and has been a frequent Fourth of July Parade participant as a U.S. Army Air Corps veteran along with his fellow veterans. He served as the commander of the DAV from 1992-94 and DAV Chaplain for the last 40 years.
“In addition to his military service, Tony is well-known in the community for his heartfelt renditions of the National Anthem at many patriotic events and programs in Pittsfield. He a regular choir member at St. Mark’s Church and has been singing all his life,” Pittsfield Parade Committee President Peter Marchetti said.
Born in 1924 and a 1942 graduate of Pittsfield High School, Pastore was drafted into the U.S. Army in March 1943 and saw action at Monte Cassino and Anzio in Italy. His unit entered Rome on June 4, 1944, and then invaded Southern France. When in Rome, which Pope Pius XII had declared an Open City, he was included in a private audience with the Pope, the first of two audiences he attended. He was transferred to the 524th Fighter Squadron of the 27th Fighter Group, his duties included repairing planes and supporting the infantry. Pastore was stationed in Germany at the conclusion of the war.
He was honored with The French Fourragere, an award from the French government, and his unit received a Presidential Unit Citation. After coming home in December, 1945, he reenlisted and went to radio school and atomic school before receiving a medical discharge. Pastore took part in an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., in September, 2015.
The Pittsfield 4th of July Parade has an historic reputation dating back to 1824, when the procession consisted of Revolutionary War survivors, patriots, politicians, and horse-drawn carriages. The parade was held off and on by various citizen groups until 1947 when it was taken over by the Pittsfield Permanent Firemen's Association. Under the firemen, the parade grew in size and popularity but was discontinued in 1976.
After 1977 with no parade, a small group of volunteer citizens obtained $2,000 seed money from the City of Pittsfield and held their first parade in 1978. Over the years, this independent, non-profit organization -- the Pittsfield 4th of July Parade Committee, Inc. -- has grown in size, spirit, and determination, and with it, the parade has grown in size, quality, and popularity. Visit the website at www.pittsfieldparade.com for more information or call at 413-447-7763.
Tags: 4th of July, parade,
