While each community may celebrate Memorial Day differently, the reason and sentiment is the same: to honor and remember the soldiers who gave their lives for their fellow Americans’ freedom.
Marblehead had a full weekend of events to celebrate Memorial Day. There was a veterans breakfast Friday at the Council on Aging, sponsored by the Masons, and a grave flagging at the Our Lady, Star of Sea cemetery afterward. There was also a grave flagging at Waterside Cemetery Saturday.
Monday’s Memorial Day festivities kicked off with an 8 a.m. memorial service at Clark’s Landing followed by the Memorial Day parade. The parade began at the Old Town House and paused at Memorial Park for the ceremony led by Veterans Agent Roseann Trionfi-Mazzuchelli, who welcomed the crowd before the Marblehead Cub Scouts led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Senior Chief Jim Full, U.S. Navy, then performed the invocation prayer before Select Board Chair Erin Noonan read the Memorial Day proclamation, signed by Gov. Maura Healey, and the Marblehead High School band performed The Navy Hymn.
Next up was keynote speaker Moses Grader, Select Board member and Marine Corps veteran. He began by sharing that, “in preparation for this solemn observance, I went up on the hill at Waterside Cemetery yesterday and visited the graves of our veterans.” He noted that he paused at Chris Piper and Harry Christensen’s graves and spoke highly of their heroism.
“It’s a significant act that we have come out today, all of us, to honor and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and to honor those, like Harry, who acted with faith and utter devotion,” Grader said.
Trionfi-Mazzuchelli read the honor roll, acknowledging those veterans who have passed since last Memorial Day, and that was followed by a 3-volley salute by Glovers Marblehead Regiment.
Attendees all joined in as the Marblehead High School band played the national anthem in an energetic and jovial sing-a-long style. Full then returned to the microphone to close with the benediction prayer.
Following the ceremony, the parade marched on to Waterside Cemetery. For veterans who could not march, they were able to ride in the trolley.
