Copyright MassLive
SPRINGFIELD — This year’s Veterans Day parade was led by a former member of the elite U.S. Army Rangers who served four tours overseas and a 36-year member of the police force. Retired Police Deputy Chief Elmer McMahon was named Veteran of the Year, recognizing his service in the military and his 36 years on the Police Department. At the same time, the city honored Michael Arillotta, who served as the youngest parade marshal in recent memory. “It is an honor. I remember years ago when we came out of the service there wasn’t a lot of patriotism because of the Vietnam War. Not a popular war at all,” McMahon said. McMahon served in the U.S. Army in Europe in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. After he was discharged, he joined the Springfield Police Department and rose through the ranks until he reached deputy chief. “Today, this is amazing. It is a great turnout and a great sense of patriotism with everybody. This is a good day for the veterans. It makes us feel good,” he said. As is tradition, the parade began at 11 a.m. at Springfield Technical Community College and marched down State Street, ending at City Hall with brief speeches. It ended with wreaths being placed at monuments honoring those killed in different wars. The event featured Junior ROTC units from the High School of Science and Technology, Central High School and the High School of Commerce. Also marching was the Melha Shriners, Boy and Girl Scout troops and Veterans for Peace, whose members carried signs reading “No New War with Venezuela and ”No more U.S. Support for Israel." During speeches, Veterans’ Services Department Director Joseph DeCaro gave a special shout-out to the Winchester Square Vietnam Veterans as well as thanking many others, including the Veterans Activities Committee, who helped organize the parade. He also specially recognized U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, for his work to protect federal benefits for veterans and wished the U.S. Marine Corps a happy birthday. While Mayor Domenic J. Sarno could not attend because he was having cancer treatments, his chief of staff, William Baker, read a proclamation for Veterans Day. “Because of our veterans, America is still the greatest country in the world,” Baker said, thanking the military members on Sarno’s behalf. Arillotta said he joined the military about a year after his 2015 graduation from the High School of Commerce and spent five years in the U.S. Army before being discharged in 2022. During that time, he deployed to Afghanistan three times and once to Iraq as a member of the Army Rangers. When he left the military, he decided to return to his home city and is now a student at Western New England University and plans to soon enroll in the law school. He also joined the Veterans Activity Committee and has been helping fellow veterans ever since. He is also trying to draw in more young veterans to join him. “They do a lot for the community,” Arillotta said. “I think I need to start doing more of these things to galvanize the youth,” he said.
