HOULTON, Maine — A soggy start to Monday’s Memorial Day festivities did not deter hundreds of residents from turning out to pay their respects to those soldiers who sacrificed their lives.
Early in the morning, as rain fell across the area, a ceremony was held at Soldier Hill with a small group gathered for a brief service and placement of wreaths and flowers at the American Legion memorial marker.
Following a brief parade through Market Square, which included a stop at the Meduxnekeag River Bridge for the tossing of a ceremonial wreath, a larger gathering met at Monument Park where the Houlton High School band performed and additional wreaths were placed on war memorials.
Jim Dunlop, commander of American Legion Post No. 47 in Houlton, welcomed those in attendance.
“Again our nation has assembled to honor its heroic dead,” Dunlop said. “A thousand battles of land, sea and air echo the glory of their valiant deeds. Under the quiet sod or beneath the murmuring waves, their bodies sleep in deep peace. But as is the destiny of veterans, their souls go marching on. Because of them, our lives are free. Because of them, our nation lives.”
The ceremony featured a flyover by a United States Customs and Border Patrol helicopter. Deputy Chief Darrell Crandall of the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department served as the featured speaker.
“The idea of putting others before ourselves is not new,” Crandall said. “The Bible says ‘Greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life for his friends.’ So many proud, brave Americans have paid the ultimate sacrifice on battlefields around the world and we gather as a grateful nation to honor them today.”
Crandall said many veterans returned from battle with visible wounds that could be treated, while others bore wounds that do not show.
“We, as a nation, are still learning to deal with that,” he said. “Those brave men and women have emotional scars that torment them daily. Most suffer silently until they reach the breaking point, rather than seeking help. What a shame it is that their selfless service to this country left them with the invisible pain that so many of us just cannot imagine.”
The Houlton High School band played “The Star Spangled Banner,” and “Oh Canada,” before the microphone was turned over to any wishing to make a comment.
Houlton resident and town councilor Sue Tortello reminded those in attendance that Memorial Day was not just a three-day weekend or a chance to go to camp to kick-off summer activities.
“It’s important to pay tribute to our country’s fallen heroes,” she said. “We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never fully be paid. How do we adequately thank the men and women who gave of themselves until they had nothing more to give?”
She urged the audience to take a moment of silence at 3 p.m. as part of the “National Moment of Remembrance,” which was established by Congress in 2000.
