ORISKANY, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) – While Memorial Day parades kick off all over the Mohawk Valley, one local soldier will be featured on the national stage.

Sergeant Thomas Rothdeiner, a veteran of the United States Air Force and a resident of the village of Oriskany, will be marching in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington D.C. on Monday, May 29. He will have the honor of representing the Air Force on the color guard.

A native of Alconbury in Molesworth, England, Rothdeiner served in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm and has served in various Air Force Bases around the world, including Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome. He has also provided protective services for such dignitaries as President Ronald Reagan, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and Queen Margaret II of Denmark.

Rothdeiner retired from the Air Force in 1995 and has served with the Oriskany Fire Department for 45 years, serving as their Fire Chief for eight years. He is also a member of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs for Oneida County. He was a gaming inspector with the New York State Racing and Wagering Board – now the New York State Gaming Commission – until his retirement in 2015.

The parade will step off from Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC at 2 PM on Monday, May 29, with Grand Marshals Astronauts Charles Duke, Harrison Schmitt, and Russell Schweickart from the Apollo space missions. The parade will be streamed on YouTube beginning at 1 pm at the link below.

National Memorial Day Parade