Stoneleigh 4th of July Parade Enjoyed by POW in World War II

Herbert N. Shohet, 86, has lived on Stoneleigh Square since before Jean Gallati first organized the July 4 Stoneleigh Children's Parade in 1997.

Shohet, a prisoner of war for five months in World War II, brought a lawn chair to the end of his driveway this morning to watch more than three dozen children walk or ride bicycles decorated in the colors of Old Glory past his house.

Shohet said he usually watches the annual parade and enjoys seeing neighborhood kids and adults celebrating the 4th of July. "It was very nice. The kids surely enjoyed it, the bike riders and the scooter pushers," Shohet said.

Shohet, a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, was taken prisoner by Germans during fighting by the border of Germany and Belgium after his commanding officer surrendered. Shohet said he lost 65 pounds in five months when he was a prisoner of war because they were scarcely fed and had to scrounge for food. "It was difficult. Those of us who were prisoners were not treated well," he said.

Shohet said he was liberated after Germany surrendered and that patriotic holidays mean a lot to him. "I'm an American, through and through. No question about it," he said.

David Levine, of Stoneleigh Square, said, "When someone like him graces our street...it's a reminder why we're here."

Many of the children in today's parade were dressed in patriotic colors or had red, white and blue ribbons or streamers on their bicycles or scooters. The parade began on Stoneleigh Road about 9:30 a.m. after children and adults sang the Star Spangled Banner and they marched behind a banner that read "God Bless America."

Alissa Schwartz, 8, said she first went to the Stoneleigh Children's Parade when she was 5 and said she likes it because kids can choose to either walk or ride a bike. Alissa walked in the parade because her brother rode on the scooter.

Rebecca Newman, 7, said she also liked having the option of walking or riding a bike. "I like this one because you don't have to walk if you don't want to," she said.

Gallati said she got the idea for a July 4 children's parade on Stoneleigh Road and Stoneleigh Square from her brother, Joe O'Connor, who held a similar parade on Buttonball Trail in Norwalk for neighborhood kids in the 1990s. Buttonball Trail, like Stoneleigh Square, is a circular road attached to another road. "I went to the parade, and I loved the tradition," she said.

Gallati said the Stoneleigh parade, since it started, has always had a lot of kids from the neighborhood and surrounding streets. "It's always been a children's parade where children get dressed up and decorate their bikes and scooters," she said. "It's cool because people who were in strollers and scooters are now on bikes."

Tori Gallati, 14, Jean's daughter, has been in every Stoneleigh Children's Parade because the parade started about six weeks after she was born. Tori said she was more involved in the parade when she was younger and now thinks it's fun to see her neighbors and have ice cream. "Now it's fun to see the kids have fun like I did," she said.

Jackson Gallati, 11, Tori's brother, said he likes the annual parade. "I like it every year because it's fun going around the block with the breeze in my hair. I always have a big grin on my face and it's nice coming back and having ice cream," he said. Jackson said it's also nice to see friends that he doesn't see as often after the school year ends.

Griffin Gallati, 8, said he most likes decorating before the parade and eating ice cream and playing games after the parade.

Eric Newman, of Eastfield Drive, came to the Stoneleigh Parade for the first time this year and thought it was a great way to bring the neighborhood together. He said kids didn't have to wait a long time to walk or ride bikes in the parade and could have ice cream afterwards. He thought it was also nice that Fire Lt. John Cronin and firefighters Brian Felner and Eric Preteska brought a fire truck from Fire Station 3 on Jackman Avenue for the kids to check out.

Gallati said it's always a treat for neighborhood kids when the Fire Department stops by with a fire truck.

"It's a great neighborhood event. It marks the 4th of July for us," said Joel Z. Green of Stoneleigh Road.