Memorial Day Parade

The crowd at the Glen Burnie Memorial Day Parade may wave flags and cheer as the bands and other marching units go by, but the grand marshal hopes the spectators also will remember men such as his best friend, Sgt. William Ford, who was cut down in the prime of his life in Korea.After all, said Boris R. Spiroff, the holiday is intended to pay "tribute to the people who died, who gave their lives for freedom."The parade committee chose Spiroff for grand marshal because of the wartime exploits described in his book "Korea: Frozen Hell On Earth," said Joseph Corcoran, parade chairman.

Several organization will honor Memorial Day with parades and services today and tomorrow.* American Legion Carroll Post 31 of Westminster will hold its annual Memorial Day observance tomorrow starting with a parade at 10 a.m.The four-division parade will form on Green Street from Maryland Avenue to Church Street and proceed to the Westminster Cemetery. Marching units include local bands, the Zembo Temple Highlanders bagpipe band from Harrisburg, Pa., and a float called "In Flanders Fields."

Please note that even though I do not have the space to be unbelievably witty in my weekly column, I have rented a small space at Giant in the bulk food aisle where I share my insight on the human condition with shoppers who have been reduced to buying plastic bags full of generic gummy bears.*Fifty years after their victory, veterans of World War II will march again when Glen Burnie's annual Memorial Day Parade steps off at 2 p.m. Sunday with a salute to the men and women who fought in the "Big One."

Entering the house, my friend paused and sniffed the air."Potpourri?" she asked. "Who's coming to visit?"I chose to ignore her.Giving me a smile suggesting I was way out of my league, she explained:"You're removing the labels from old TV Guides and attempting to affix them to copies of New Republic. There's a box in your trash from a recently purchased step aerobic bench. These clues taken alone could mean it's an old school friend."Moving into the kitchen, she continued."Fresh fruit artfully arranged in a basket replacing the Tupperware bowl of Gummy Bears and Gushers.

As a rule, state Sen. Michael J. Wagner, a Ferndale Democrat, avoids parade appearances, saying that they only give constituents the chance to insult him.But the senator says he will risk it today. He is to ride in the Glen Burnie Memorial Day Parade at 2 p.m. with County Council candidate James "Ed" DeGrange.He last appeared in a Maryland City parade in 1978, during his first -- and unsuccessful -- run for the Senate against H. Erle Schafer. He's eschewed them ever since."The Glen Burnie Parade is a payback," Mr. Wagner said tongue-in-cheek, referring to criticism that he fancies himself an old-school political boss.

They're everywhere -- trendy silk banners flapping in the breeze.Joyful greetings to all who pass by? Or the pumpkin leaf bags of the '90s?As a woman who still has difficulty remembering to write "1994" on each check, I am in awe of people who manage to change banners to match the holidays.Valentine hearts, shamrocks and Easter Bunnys are nice, but I would like to see the banners used for a more practical purpose, as a warning. For example:* A scale superimposed on a refrigerator. Beware of dieter.

Scouts Say ThanksThe Scouts and leaders of Scout Troop 381 would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those persons who so willingly helped us march in Westminster's Memorial Day Parade.In our effort to teach good citizenship and recognition of all of our veterans from all wars, Scout Troop 381 has been part of these ceremonies since 1962. The year 1993 will always be remembered as the year we marched down Main Street with an American flag that was 20-by-30 feet in size and was carried by 46 of our active Scouts.

John Stumpf III is grooming his old fire engine these days, making sure that old Glen Burnie engine No. 332 is ready to roll with the volunteer fire company's new No. 332 in the community's Memorial Day parade."

It wasn't until the men in the purple fezzes zipped up Crain Highway in their three-wheel go-carts that Shawn Lachenmayer really got excited."Look at them, look at them," the 9-year-old boy from Severn shouted as the Boumi Temple "Camel Wheels" from Baltimore spun figure-eight patterns in the highway near its intersection with Aquahart Road.The group was one of 68 organizations that helped Glen Burnie celebrate the Memorial Day weekend with a parade Sunday along the community's main arteries.

Rep. Beverly B. Byron, D-6th, will be the honorary parade marshal for the Westminster Memorial Day parade Monday. Westminster resident Harry Emigh Jr., a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, will lead the parade.Joseph Walsh, a county resident and Pentagon reporter for NBC Radio, will give an address during a program after the parade. Walsh covered the Persian Gulf war and the fall of the Soviet government in Moscow.The parade will form at 9 a.m. at Belle Grove Square and start at 10 a.m. on a downtown route to the Westminster Cemetery.