The Town of Pelham and American Legion Pelham Post No. 50 commemorated Memorial Day with a ceremony at the Manor Club, after rain forced cancellation of the traditional parade through the town.

World War II veteran Gerald “Jerry” DiSisto was this year’s grand marshal. DiSisto joined the U.S. Navy at age 17 and served in both the North Atlantic and later the South Pacific on the battleship USS New Jersey. He was a volunteer firefighter for many years, and his family business is a well known benefactor to many Pelham charities.

Former Pelham resident and U.S. Army Col. Roland Tiso was this year’s keynote speaker. A graduate of Pelham Memorial High School (1969) and the Virginia Military Academy, Tiso’s 35-year military career included command of infantry companies in Korea, Panama, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was also chief of the War Plans Division and one of the primary authors of the Iraq War Plan. He saw combat action in Panama, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. He holds numerous decorations for meritorious service and heroism in combat, including awards from five foreign nations and is the only American to have received the Ukrainian Order of Valor and Honor.