Honoring those who have served with the Veterans Day parade

Main Street will soon be filled with patriotic displays to express gratitude to those who have fought for the United States. 

The Wareham Veterans Day Organization Committee will celebrate Veterans Day Tuesday, Nov. 11 with its annual parade. The parade will begin in Besse Park and will travel down Main Street ending at Centre Park across from Wareham Media. 

Main Street will be closed beginning at 9:45 a.m. and the parade will begin at 10 a.m. Following the Parade, a formal Ceremony will take place at the Park to honor local veterans from all branches of the service. 

This year guests can expect familiar faces among those marching like Wareham ROTC students, McGann Marching Band and even children's television character Bluey. 

The Grand Marshal will be Marine Corp. veteran Benjamin Baptise, who served in the second battalion in the fifth Marines starting in 1992. Following his military service, he built a career spanning over 25 years in the construction industry and is now the owner and operator of a general construction company.

Baptise is in his fourth year as the Commander of the Dudley Brown VFW post in Onset. 

Following the Ceremony, a free Luncheon for Veterans will be served at the Rowland Thatcher Hall of the Congregational Church. Free parking with shuttle service to the parade will be at Town Hall at 54 Marion Road.

Nora Bicki, serving as public relations for the parade said the most important part of the day is honoring the veterans. 

"Anything that has to do with the military is the most important part of the day," she said. "It's a family event but we try to make sure that children understand and respect our military and our veterans and appreciate what they did."