What's Happening on Veterans Day in Malden?

In our latest You Ask, Patch Answers post, we answer this question: What's happening on Veterans Day in Malden?

Veterans Day Parade

The Malden American Legion Post #69 will be sponsoring the annual Veterans Day Parade on Monday, Nov. 11, according to the city website.

Parade Route

The parade starts at 10 a.m. at MacDonald Stadium and proceeds toward Pleasant Street. After taking a right on Pleasant, the parade continues by taking a left onto Summer Street, right onto Mountain Avenue, right onto Mt. Vernon Street and a right onto Salem Street.

The parade proceeds through Malden Square before taking a right onto Pleasant Street and ending in front of City Hall. The parade will pause at the 11th minute of the 11th hour for a moment of reflection in honor of all the nation's veterans, reads the website.   

For more information about the parade, call American Legion Commander Larry Clark at 781-324-9570.

POW/MIA Chair Dedication

The memorial services will begin at 9 a.m. at MacDonald Stadium. There will be a POW/MIA Chair dedication ceremony with Legion officers, veterans, clergy and city officials. 

During the rededication ceremony at Tartikoff Park on Wednesday morning, Malden's Director of Veterans Services Kevin Jarvis discussed the POW/MIA Chair dedication ceremony plans.

"Because we're going to have a POW/MIA Chair dedication at the stadium this year, the chair is going to be installed just like the chair at Gillette Stadium, Fenway Park and the (TD) Garden," he said. "We're the first municipality to do something at this level. The Lowell Spinners and some minor league teams and professional sports teams have done it, but Malden is going to be the first again."

Remembering Albert Spadafora

City officials will host a dedication ceremony for fallen Maldonian and U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Albert N. Spadafora at noon on Veterans Day in front of 218 Pearl St. Spadafora died while fighting in Europe during World War II.

"Albert was assigned to the 715th Bomber Squadron with the 448th Bomber Group Squadron and was a crew member on a B-24 Liberator," reads the city website. "On March 8, 1944, Albert (Neal) Spadafora was lost at sea after his plane was heavily damaged by enemy anti-aircraft fire which punctured the fuel tanks and forced a water landing on the ocean to meet a waiting British rescue ship."

On Wednesday, Jarvis said Mary Lattanzio, Spadafora's fiancée, and her nephew will be in participating in the unveiling of a memorial during the ceremony.

"(Albert) Neal Spadafora was shot down over Germany. The plane didn't quite get shot down right away and they were losing fuel quickly...so they ditched the plane in the North Sea," Jarvis said. "The plane split in half before the British rescue boat could pick them up and Albert was forever lost and missing in action."

Check out our video for some more information about what's in store for Veterans Day in Malden.