Mary Tuitt: A US Navy veteran, she will serve as the Chief Marshal of the Dorchester Day Parade.Mary Tuitt, the chief marshal for this year’s Dorchester Day parade, is both a veteran of the armed forces like all chief marshals before her and an active member of the Dorchester community, serving as chief of staff for state Rep. Gloria Fox and as vice president of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. She is also involved with a variety of local organizations, including VFW Post 1018 and the Organization of African American Veterans.

In a back-and-forth with the Reporter, Tuitt talked about Dorchester Day:

Q. What does Dorchester Day mean to you?
A. Dorchester Day is a day of camaraderie. The community members get to come out and enjoy fellowship with each other and the children can have fun and learn by seeing some of the local business and people coming out to celebrate the history of Dorchester.

Q. What is the most significant part of the celebration?
A. The significant part is the family togetherness of neighbors on the front lawns and sidewalks.

Q. What role does Dorchester Day play in your life?
A. I have always been a supporter of community days like Dorchester Day because I believe that a good, healthy, whole community depends on families knowing each other and progressing together.

Q. Who are you spending the day with?
A. I will have a small entourage of my daughter Mya, my son Maliek, my siblings, nephews, godchildren, family, friends and some of the young people I mentor. But many of my friends and veteran brothers and sisters are walking in other sections also.

Q. What events are you most excited about and want people to know about?
A. Well, of course, there’s the chief marshal dinner on Friday night at Florian Hall, and on the day of the parade Senator Forry has a gathering in the parking lot of Meetinghouse bank which I support and visit every year because it is like a meeting place of the Who’s Who of Dorchester to kick off the day.

Q. Do you have any special plans for the parade? Any surprises?
A. No special plans. A really nice casual outfit for the day. No surprises. I don’t want to take away from the parade and the festivities of the day.

Q. What does it mean to you to be chief marshal?
A. To be nominated by my veteran brother Tony Dang and selected unanimously by the members of the committee was a humbling moment. And to lead off the parade on Sunday is just a continuation of that feeling. … I take this walk for everyone.

Q. Does your service in the armed forces give you a different perspective on the celebration?
A. Yes my military service and the position as chief marshal gives me the ability to bring light to the military history of the parade. That is very important because many do not understand what we give for our country and for everyone to live freely. “Many have fallen so that we may walk.”