The Stratford Indian Guides and Indian Princesses of Sterling House are busy at work putting the final touches on their war memorial float for the Memorial Day Parade.

The float stands about 12½ feet tall and took dozens of volunteers to construct and decorate.

Volunteers of all ages got their hands dirty constructing the monument that is larger than life. It lists the names of 150 Stratford residents who made the ultimate sacrifice in battles like the Korean War, the Vietnam War, World War I and World War II.

"When you read the names of those walls, each one is an individual person," says John McGettigan, of Stratford. "As you go through and you think, 'That's a whole person life, they had parents, they might have had children and brothers and sisters.'"

Members of the group say they wanted the youngest members to get involved so they know what Memorial Day is actually about.

This float in particular was commissioned by Mayor Laura Hoydick. She was so impressed with the group's float last year, she asked them to make another, this time to represent the town.

The parade kicks off Monday at 12:15 p.m.