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Londonderry’s Memorial Day Parade

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American Legion Post 27 will hold their annual Memorial Day parade and ceremonies in Londonderry on Monday, May 26, 2014. The parade will step off from the high school at 10:00 AM and proceed down Mammoth Road, with ceremonies at Glenwood Cemetery and the Town Common.

The parade silently snakes through the Glenwood Cemetery in great reverence to our fallen warriors. A wreath is laid at the Greely headstone, with the deafening sound of a 21 gun salute and the haunting echo of three lone buglers playing taps to honor the dead. The procession then makes its way back to the Historic Town Common where, in front of the Soldiers Monument, a prayer and keynote address is given.

Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May, commemorates the men and women who died while serving in the American Military. A national moment of remembrance takes place each year at 3 PM local time. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at half staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at Veterans and National Cemeteries.

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars take donations for poppies in the days leading up to Memorial Day; the poppy’s significance to Memorial Day is the result of the John McCrae poem “In Flanders Fields.”

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Our Veterans are asking the citizens of Londonderry to show their support for our military veterans, families and those that are serving in the on-going conflicts today by viewing the parade and attending the ceremonies in Glenwood Cemetery and on the Common. Londonderry has a strong tradition of serving our country during time of war. All past and current veterans will be remembered. We owe it to our departed military heroes to remember them forever for they fought and died so we could live our lives free.

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