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Danbury Picks 92-Year-Old Army Vet As Grand Marshal For Parade

DANBURY, Conn. – Neil Aiello, a 92-year-old Army veteran and Danbury native, will lead this year's Memorial Day parade as grand marshal.

Neil Aiello, 92, is a Danbury native and Army veteran.

Neil Aiello, 92, is a Danbury native and Army veteran.

Photo Credit: Nicole Kasseris

To spot Aiello in his role, the Danbury parade will step off Monday, May 25, at 9:30 a.m. from Kennedy Park. It will proceed down Main Street and conclude at Rogers Park, where parachutists will descend onto the baseball field and a ceremony will be held at the Rose Memorial Garden.

At the Catholic War Veterans Post 1042 in Danbury, Aiello is an active participant and attends all functions sponsored by the Post and by the Danbury Veterans Council.

He also assists with Bingo Night at the VA Hospital and is also a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

Aiello, a Danbury High School graduate, underwent his Army basic training at Fort Dix in New Jersey and was then transferred to Camp Croft in South Carolina before heading overseas during World War II.

He said he proudly served in Italy and a few other countries before returning to the United States. In his time in the military, he rose from the rank of private to regimental sergeant major and had 26 first sergeants under his command. One of his most memorable moments in his military career was being present in the same room as Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In 1947, Aiello was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army and returned to Danbury to work at the Mallory Hat Shop in the “finishing room” for the next 18 years. After that, he worked for 22 years at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury as an administrative assistant. Aiello worked there until retirement as age 55, as required under federal law for all dangerous jobs.

Aiello was married to Ann Silva, who passed away nearly three years ago. Together, they have two sons, a daughter, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

For fun, he has renovated his house by adding on an extra room, which he uses as his TV room, as well as an extra garage, where he keeps his gardening supplies. A green thumb, Aiello has three vegetable gardens and grows squash, lettuce, peppers, corn, and much more.

He keeps in touch with his family daily, with relatives in nearby Brookfield and Sandy Hook. He is especially proud of his granddaughter Katie, who recently graduated from the University of Utah with her master’s degree in bioengineering.

“I am proud of Katie and I save all the cards she sends me while she was away at school,” Aiello said.

 

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