The sun was up early Monday morning, just like members of the Suffern Marching Band, for Memorial Day celebrations in the villages of Hillburn, Sloatsburg, Suffern, and the Town of Tuxedo.

The Suffern Marching Band performed its annual village parade trifecta, starting first in Hillburn, where the parade route began at the Ramapo Central School District office and looped around the village to Hillburn’s Veteran’s Memorial Park.

The Hillburn Ladies Auxiliary marched in the parade and posed with Town of Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence.

Political and cultural commentator, and former NY Assemblyman, Ryan Karben followed the marching band, taking in all three Western Ramapo parades. Karben captured the raising of flags ceremony at Sloatsburg’s Village Hall, where Rockland County Clerk Paul Piperato was guest speaker.

The Sloatsburg Ladies Auxiliary of American Legion Post 1643 President Rita Cronk also spoke and gave a moving address about the organization, which will soon disband due to declining membership after 50 years of service (1963-2013).

Led by the Sloatsburg Volunteer Fire Department, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Suffern High School Marching Band, the parade made its way from Memorial Park at Village Hall through the village and around Eagle Valley Road to the Sloatsburg Cemetery.

The Suffern Marching Band finished its day in Suffern, with the annual parade down Lafayette Avenue to Soldier’s Monument. Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffe was on hand for the event, along with Mayor Dagan Lacorte.

In Tuxedo, the Sterling Forest Fire Co. 2, part of the Tuxedo Fire District, had an old reconditioned pump truck from the days of the Sterling Forest Fire Brigade as parade show piece.

The parade route wound through Tuxedo from George F. Baker Tuxedo High School, led by the Tuxedo Band, and ended at the Veterans Wall in front of St. Mary’s Church on Route 17.

Tuxedo Chamber of Commerce President and Iraqi war veteran Bill Sweet was on hand in his dress blues.

Photos of Hillburn Ladies Auxillary, Sloatsburg raising of the flags and Suffern Marching Band in Hillburn courtesy of Ryan Karben.

Photos of Sterling Forest Fire Brigade truck and Bill Sweet courtesy of BackHome Antiques.