LYNNFIELD — The town has announced it will be holding a Memorial Day celebration after all.
The tentative plans were unveiled during a COVID-19 update ZOOM meeting on Thursday that featured Town Administrator Rob Dolan, Selectman Dick Dalton, Fire Chief Glenn Davis and Veterans Service Agent Bruce Siegel.
“It will be a virtual ceremony, just a little something special in a more challenging environment,” said Dolan. “This is the most solemn week of the year in our country, one that every town looks forward to every year in remembering our veterans who have passed.”
Dolan said the town is in the process of assembling the speaking portion of the program, which includes a greeting from Board of Selectmen Chairman, Phil Crawford, readings of John McCrae’s poem, “In Flanders Field” and the Gettysburg Address and a message from Siegel. As in past years, members representing each service branch will be placing flowers at Lynnfield cemeteries and burying grounds. All that will be combined into an online video that will run on a continuous loop.
Siegel said preparations for the annual event began Feb. 1 when he reached out to the town’s various agencies and committees to see who was available to participate.
“The response is always incredible with everyone wanting to pitch in and help,” he said. People tell me, ‘don’t forget me, let me know what I can do to help.’ But, this year it has been very different as the customary activities, like the cookout, the parade, the gathering on the common, simply are not possible. It will be different, with a few special surprises,” adding that the town website and social media will be extensively used.
Dalton provided details on the plans to decorate the town common.
He said that Lynnfield has drawn inspiration from the Massachusetts’ Military Heroes Fund’s (MMHF) Memorial Day Flag Garden on Boston Common. Lynnfield Common will be decorated with 370 flags, one for every 100 of the more than 37,000 Massachusetts military service members (according to MMHF) who have given their lives for their country since the Revolutionary War. The Department of Public Works will “plant” the flags, which will be illuminated with special lighting.
The Fire Department is also pitching in and will hang the department’s oversized American flag high above the common Monday morning.
“People will be able to drive by or walk by and be reminded by that flag and the flags on the common of what the real purpose of Memorial Day is,” Dalton said. “Boston is one of the more beautiful things you can see, so that was our inspiration. We hope it will catch people’s eyes. One of the special things about Lynnfield’s traditional Memorial Day celebrations has been its small-town feel, a typical New England event in that it’s not necessarily fancy, but just very respectful in the way it honors our service members who have lost their lives.”
Resident Bob Priestly will be installing an electronic system that will project a giant image of a waving American flag on the side of the Meeting House.
“It probably won’t be visible during the day, but will be able to be seen at night,” said Dalton. “It’s the symbolic things like that that are really appropriate, especially now.”
“I think that the way the weekend is coming together will be an appropriate way to celebrate all of our veterans during these times,” said Dolan.
One of those veterans referred to by Dolan is Earl Richard, who died from COVID-19 in March at the age of 99, five days after his son, Steven Richard, succumbed to the same disease. The World War II veteran served as grand marshal for the 2019 parade.
“Last year was one of the best Memorial Days we have ever had when Earl was honored,” said Dalton. “He sat right up there in front during the ceremony and it was so touching the way so many people shook his hand and thanked him for his service following the ceremony. It was an incredible day.”
