Melrose Recognizes Veterans and Service Members on Memorial Day
Written By Ellen Putnam
Photographed By Nancy Clover
This past weekend, Melrose hosted a series of events that recognized Memorial Day - not as the cheerful start to summer that it has become for many Americans, but as a solemn occasion for remembering service members who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Memorial Day observances began soon after the Civil War as Decoration Day, when communities would place flowers on the graves of soldiers who had died in the war. Melrose has made a point in the last few years of returning to those roots, replacing the city's traditional Memorial Day parade with a breakfast honoring veterans, flag replacement at Wyoming Cemetery, and a ceremony at the Knoll.
On the Friday morning before each Veterans Day and Memorial Day, the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School hosts a breakfast for veterans and a presentation for students honoring the veterans, featuring student musicians and a guest speaker. This year, Senior Airman Laeticia Soro delivered the keynote address.
Then, on Saturday morning, volunteers, including local Scout troops, gathered to replace over 3200 flags at veterans' graves in Wyoming Cemetery. At the conclusion of the event, the old flags were burned in a flag retirement ceremony
Finally, on Sunday morning, community members gathered at the Knoll for a ceremony honoring veterans and those who gave their lives in service to the country. Chair of the Veterans Advisory Board Bob Driscoll and Mayor Jen Grigoraitis spoke, and City Councilor Jason Chen, himself a Navy veteran, gave the keynote address.
Grigoraitis encouraged veterans to apply for any benefits they might be eligible for, with the assistance of the city's Veterans Service Officer, Tammy Shovelton, noting that although many veterans might be reluctant to ask for help, they earned their benefits through their service and sacrifice. Chen reflected on the age-old question - as old as The Iliad, he noted - of leaders asking young soldiers to fight in wars they had no hand in starting, and emphasized the shared responsibility of ensuring that our soldiers' sacrifices always be for worthy causes.
Then community members placed white roses on the flag memorial to honor veterans they had lost. The ceremony concluded with former mayor Gail Infurna playing Taps. Despite the rain, many community members turned out to honor our veterans and service members and their families.
Below, see photos from the Veterans Breakfast and assembly; volunteers replacing and retiring flags at Wyoming Cemetery; and the Memorial Day ceremony at the Knoll and collation that followed at the VFW.
