Veterans and scouts place flags on the graves of veterans. The entire town gathers along the main street to watch the parade (unless they are one of the marchers.) Fond memories of the parade include the year two young sisters led the first contingent. Many of the participants remarked about the comfortable pace, that for the first time they didn't feel like they had to run to keep up. Of course, there ended up being a large gap between the honor guard and grand marshal and the rest of the parade.
The parade culminates with the laying of a wreath at the foot of the doughboy statue in the local park. Enjoy the poem the statue inspired by visiting the tribute post or clicking on the picture. And be sure to visit the other posts in the challenge.
~till next time, Helen
I'm enjoying discovering why everyone chose different holidays- such a fun hop! In the last few years we began attending a Memorial Day tribute and it made the holiday mean so much more. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI love your choice! We used to do a whole "thing" on Memorial Day, traveling to three cemeteries over about 100 miles -- but then we moved and all that changed. The small-town festivities sound wonderful to me. Enjoyed your post.
ReplyDeleteI also love Memorial Day....I'm usually 'recovering' from the Indy 500 the day before, so it's a lazy day. Also watching The Victory Banquet in the evening and watching the drivers joking around and having a good time.
ReplyDeleteSmall towns do up the civic holidays so much better than the megalopolis I live in!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like fun.
ReplyDeleteI used to like Remembrance Day (the Canadian equivalent of Memorial Day) because someone would always recite the poem "In Flanders Fields." The poem had strong meaning to my father; the battle the poem commemorated took place almost in the family's back forty. Another favorite holiday was Canada Day, July 1, but only because it marked the beginning of summer holidays (school ran till the end of June). Moving to another country halfway through my life shook up all my feeling and traditions about holidays, though, leaving only the "universally celebrated" days like Christmas and Halloween intact.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great pick. It's so true that most of the holidays are being reduced to sales and other consumer needs. It's good to hear how your town banned together to do something different for Memorial day.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that your town does so much to celebrate our veterans. Wonderful tradition.
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