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| Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott Harry Hafford, left, and Brigadier General John LeVasseur, U.S. Army, placed a memorial wreath in honor of all military men and women who lost their lives serving their country, following Monday’s Memorial Day Ceremony held at the Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery in Caribou. |
By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
U.S. veterans from all branches of the military, from different war theatres and from different generations, joined with family, friends and members of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled Veterans and POW organizations at the Northern Maine Veterans’ Cemetery in Caribou on Memorial Day to honor and remember those service men and women who have fallen before them.
With each ceremony held throughout the year at the NMVC, the number of those attending continues to increase, Monday being no exception, as the 1 p.m. ceremony drew an estimated 200 witnesses, ranging from infants and toddlers in strollers to veterans confined to wheel chairs, but still drawing from their inner strength to stand in salute as the U.S. colors were presented and Taps was played.
“Memorial Day to me is no longer hotdogs and hamburgers — it’s not just a day off,” stated Keynote speaker Brigadier General John Levasseur, U.S. Army, who retired in 2011 after serving more than 39 years.
“My opinion of this day changed while I was serving in Iraq in 2004. I was attending a ceremony for a young first lieutenant who had been killed by a roadside bomb,” said Levasseur. “I was sitting in the front row and I looked at all of the things on display, honoring this soldier — the symbols of service. The bayonet between his empty boots, his helmet with his dog tags next to it — his picture,” he added. “But what really stayed with me was the dates of his life.”
LeVasseur reminded those in attendance that the Northern Maine Veterans’ Cemetery was a place where rank holds no authority for those resting there. Those interred here as well as elsewhere are all part of a brotherhood whose first rule is to “cover one another’s back,” said LeVasseur. “The number of those who serve in the armed forces may be less now than in the past but it is a important reminder to all that those here at this facility set the standards — this is where the price of freedom can be seen.”
During the ceremony representatives gave remarks for Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Olympia Snowe and Congressman Michael Michaud.
In her Memorial Day remarks, read by Phil Bosse, state office representative, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins stated in part, “The sacrifice involved in giving one’s life for the sake of others cannot be measured. Neither can the cost paid by the families of the dead. For them, the battles of the past do not fade into history but remain vivid and painful. Losses from the World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War still burden the hearts of families throughout our country. New burdens of grief are borne by the families of those who fell in Iraq Afghanistan and other regions throughout the world. By keeping the trust of Memorial Day, we tell these families that they do not bear these terrible burdens alone.”
In a Memorial Day message, read by her representative Sharon Campbell, U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe stated in part, “Memorial Day is a sacred moment in the life of our nation — a day of commemoration when we pay homage to our country’s war dead and reflect upon the debt each of us owes to those taken from us all too soon. Today we remember, especially those sons and daughters of Maine, who have perished knowing their memory will forever speak to the very best of our state and their selflessness embodied our state motto, ‘Dirigo’ or ‘I lead.’ As we rightly memorialize America’s fallen at this solemn juncture, we are mindful that our freedom has been won by their remarkable courage — that the liberties we enjoy steam from their eternal glory. With unending gratitude, we praise all our fallen American — and their families, from the bottom of our hearts as we commit ourselves to standing for those cherished tenets for which they died.”
Congressman Michael Michaud’s Memorial Day words, read by Barbara Hayslett, district representative for the Congressman, stated in part, “Since the very founding of our nation, brave men and women have defended our ideals and our way of life. It is because of their dedication and commitment that America endures. Memorial Day allows us to honor the service and the memories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation. Today, we are reminded of the cost of freedom and that we owe each of our brave men and women and their families the utmost respect for their dedication and commitment they have made to our country.”
The Loring Job Corps Color Guard presented the American flag, under the direction Major Roger Felix. Also present were members of the Madawaska American Legion Post 147, who presented a 21-gun salute.
The Color Guard representing the Caribou Fire/Ambulance Department was also present.
Following the ceremony, veterans exchanged handshakes and hugs with their comrades, some strangers but only in name, as they have seen the same sights, heard the same words of loss and shared the same memories, those of a veteran.
