Memorial Day activities pay tribute to fallen military members

By Ed Pierce

For some Americans, Memorial Day is time to enjoy a day off from work, enjoy a family barbecue or the official start of the summer movie season. But for others, Memorial Day marks another occasion to cherish the memory of lost loved ones, who sacrificed their lives in defense of liberty.

Earlier this month more than 350 flags were placed on local
veterans' graves in cemeteries across Windham like this
one at Arlington Cemetery in North Windham. The 
project is an annual activity for the American Legion.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE   

The tradition of observing Memorial Day across the nation began in 1868, as an idea formulated by General John A. Logan, the commander of the Civil War veterans’ organization known as The Grand Army of the Republic. He suggested that Americans pause for a national day to commemorate soldiers who died in battle. Logan called his idea “Decoration Day” and he recommended that Americans everywhere take time to stop and reflect on May 30, 1868 with flowers and prayers about the courage and valor that our soldiers demonstrated in preserving the union of American states.

Newspaper reports from 1868 say that Logan selected May 30 as the date for “Decoration Day” because it was not a day that a Civil War battle had been fought, but others speculated it was warm enough after months of winter for spring flowers to reach full bloom and be in plentiful supply to decorate veteran’s graves.

Logan had served with distinction during the Civil War, and he sustained serious wounds at the Battle of Fort Donelson in Tennessee in 1862. After recovering from being shot, Logan then became a command officer and served under Union Generals William Tecumseh Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant. He later was elected by Illinois voters to serve as a member of the House of Representatives and then as a U.S. Senator and was chosen by Republican candidate for U.S. president James G. Blaine of Maine as his vice-president running mate in 1884, but Democrat Grover Cleveland won the national election that year.

When Logan died in 1886, he became one of a group of 40 Americans who have laid in state in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.

Through the decades after Logan’s original proposal, Americans came to embrace “Decoration Day” and used the occasion to commemorate all American military members who died during wars.

The federal government’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1972 moved the annual “Decoration Day” observance from May 30 to the last Monday in May with the new official name of the holiday changed to “Memorial Day.” The change was enacted to standardize the holiday to a Monday since May 30 could fall on any day of the week.

This year Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 29 and Windham’s American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 will conduct traditional Memorial Day festivities on behalf of the Town of Windham.

Legion members have been preparing for the Memorial Day events for the past three weeks with American flags hung on utility poles around town. These flags will fly through Labor Day in Windham. Members and volunteers have been visiting local cemeteries in the town placing more than 350 flags on the graves of local veterans buried there. Cadets from Windham High School also have placed more than 200 U.S. flags at the Windham rotary.

On Memorial Day Monday the community is invited to view the Annual Windham Memorial Day Parade. The parade starts at 9 a.m. and will run from the Windham Town Hall on School Road and then proceeds onto Route 202 in the direction of Windham High School. The best vantage point for viewing this year’s parade will be around the intersection of Windham Center Road and Route 202.

The parade is not limited to a specific war era, and any veteran who would like to march with the Windham Legion, VFW, and DAV component are welcome. All groups or individuals desiring to join the parade should meet and check in by 8:45 a.m. in front of the Town Hall on School Road.

This year’s parade route terminates at Windham’s Veterans Memorial Flagpole at Windham High. At 10 a.m. there, a Memorial Day Ceremony will be held featuring guest speaker retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Bob Chapin. After serving in the military and as a defense analyst, he moved to Raymond in 2008 with his wife, Susan, and has been active in local conservation, environment, neighborhood, and local hunting and fishing organizations. Chapin is the past president of Raymond Waterways Protective Association, the current president of Thomas Pond Improvement Association and the Pulpit Rock Road Association of homeowners. He’s also a past president of Windham-Gorham Rod and Gun Club and is the current president of the Sebago Lake Anglers’ Association.

Ceremonial events include patriotic music performed by the Windham High School band, laying of a commemorative wreath on behalf of Windham veterans who lost their lives, bell tolling for local veterans who have died during this past year and a ceremonial burning of flags removed from veterans’ graves, followed by the traditional rifle salute and the playing of “Taps.” The Master of Ceremonies for the event is Post 148 Commander Tom Theriault.

Following those events, the public is invited to an open house at noon at the Windham Veterans Center at 35 Veterans Memorial Drive in North Windham with a picnic-style luncheon open to the public hosted by Field-Allen Post 148 members. A brief wreath ceremony will be conducted prior to the picnic in the Windham Veterans Center Memorial Garden.

All these events are entirely free and open to the public. <