SHELBURNE — The Shelburne Falls Memorial Day Committee’s plan to use a rotating system to honor the four local men who were killed fighting in Vietnam will continue on Monday when Specialist Ronald E. Wissman is celebrated during Memorial Day festivities.

Just like last year, a parade will begin at McCusker’s Market at 10 a.m. and a ceremony will be held at Arms Cemetery about 40 minutes later, with state Sen. Paul Mark, D-Becket, speaking.

“We want to honor all veterans who gave their lives for this country and we just want to kind of put a local face on it,” committee member David Kearney said. “We want to make sure that they’re not forgotten.”

Wissman was a 20-year-old Army service member when he was killed in Vietnam in May 1967. Fellow Shelburne residents Capt. Paul Thomas Looney and Petty Officer 1st Class William K. Batchelder were killed the same month. Pfc. James E. Palmeri was the fourth local killed in Vietnam, dying of combat injuries on Feb. 26, 1969. Last year he was the first local honored on the Memorial Day rotation.

Committee member Joe Judd, the son and brother of veterans, said the idea is to honor native sons as well as all veterans.

“It’s worked wonderfully,” he said. “We got nothing but good comments last year from people. People loved that ceremony.”

Judd explained Shelburne Falls Memorial Day Committee members are appointed by the Shelburne Selectboard.

Committee member Doug March graduated high school and served in Vietnam at the same time as Palmeri and casually socialized with Wissman. He mentioned the idea of the committee started shortly before the pandemic, when the Shelburne Falls Veterans of Foreign Wars post teamed up with the town “to kind of rejuvenate the spirit of Memorial Day and its purpose.” March said last year’s festivities went off without a hitch.

“Even the weather cooperated,” he said.

March also mentioned he accompanied about 40 Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School students and two teachers to Arms Cemetery on Wednesday to replace at least 600 American flags on graves.

“It was just a fantastic day,” he said.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.