SAUGUS — Residents lined Winter Street by Veterans Park as the annual Memorial Day parade marched by, proceeding to Riverside Cemetery to honor the veterans laid to rest there.
Pastor Bob Leroe, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, retired, gave the benediction before Steve Castinetti, Captain, U.S. Navy, retired, stepped forward to begin the ceremony.
“This is a special Memorial Day this year… Today… we gather not simply to mark the beginning of summer, but to honor sacrifice. We pause to remember the brave men and women who wore the uniform of the United States and never came home. Their courage, their devotion, and their willingness to place country above self are the foundation upon which our freedoms stand,” Castinetti said, noting that this year is special as it is the 250th anniversary of the United States.
He continued, saying that it had been 250 years since the patriots declared that liberty was worth fighting for.
“From the frozen fields of the Revolutionary War to the beaches of Normandy. From the jungles of Vietnam to the mountains of Afghanistan, and to the deserts of the Middle East. Generation after generation has stepped forward to defend the ideals first proclaimed in 1776,” he said.
Castinetti reminded everyone that the country’s strength came from the character of the American people, who were willing to do extraordinary things for liberty, and that those men and women were not seeking glory.
“They had dreams, families, and futures. Yet they accepted the burden of service, so that others might live in peace and freedom. Their sacrifice places a responsibility among all of us,” he said, continuing that people had to strive to be worth their sacrifices.
Castinetti also touched on the current division in the United States and noted that a day like Memorial Day unites people.
“The flag that drapes a fallen service member’s casket does not belong to one political party, one region, or one generation. It belongs to all of us. And so today we remember the courage of those who stormed the beaches, flew into danger, sailed into battle, (and) stood watch in distant lands. We remember the families who carried the burden of sacrifice at home,” he said.
Saugus’s Veterans’ Services Officer SueAnn Cheung then read the proclamation from Gov. Maura Healey before keynote speaker Chaplain Major Scott McGowan was introduced.
McGowan began his speech by noting that both of his grandfathers had served in World War II and that he had begun researching his family’s history.
“I knew one was a longshoreman, a stevedore in Italy… He unloaded cargo ships while the other was a communication specialist. He ran cable from the rear command posts to the front lines. And in the chaos of the Battle of the Bulge, he had been attached to the 101st Airborne to stop the invasion,” McGowan said.
His grandfather, who unloaded cargo ships, received battle stars for Sicily, Rome, and Arno, while his other grandfather received them for Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, and Ardennes in Central Europe.
“These men were not warriors, yet they rose to the challenge when their nation called on them, fighting their way through Europe,” McGowan said.
McGowan then touched on his time serving, including his 2018 deployment to Kosovo on a peacekeeping mission, where he worked with NATO allies.
“Something struck me as I became friends with our Italian counterparts and our German counterparts. That 80 years ago, both of my grandfathers were fighting them. As we sought to improve relationships, not only with NATO partners but also between Kosovo and Serbia, I hosted a prayer breakfast. I was thinking of how beautiful it is when people who were once enemies can come together, and build friendships, and be reconciled,” he said.
McGowan then brought up the preamble of the Constitution, “We, the people, in order to form a more perfect union.”
“(It’s) what our country is founded on, and what makes our nation great… Our families, our friends, our neighbors, the people who are willing to serve in a variety of ways. Who have sworn to uphold the values and protect that Constitution. The same oath that I swore, my sister swore, my father swore, and both of my grandfathers swore,” he said.
McGowan brought up the preamble, as it seemed to him that many had forgotten who their neighbors were, sharing the scripture about the Good Samaritan, who chose to help a man even though they were supposed to be enemies, after others had passed by him and pretended he wasn’t there.
“I think we can take it a step forward and ask ourselves, ‘Who is my neighbor?’ Did these two suddenly become best friends? Probably not. But who is our neighbor? We, the people of the United States,” he said. “When we, the people of the United States, come together, we will form a more perfect union… For 17 years, I have served with people politically left and politically right. I served with people living different lifestyles. I have served with people of different faiths and ethnicities and backgrounds. I have had the privilege of becoming friends with them.”
McGowan highlighted that, though he doesn’t always agree with them, the disagreement is what makes his friendships more special.
“As mentioned, in a little more than a month, we will celebrate 250 years… of men and women who have willingly served. They have fought for countless reasons, but in the end, they saw there was a cause worth fighting for. A cause greater than themselves,” he said.
McGowan then posed the question, “How do we say thank you?” to those who served and died serving, answering that everyone can say thank you by trying to honor the promise they made to the American people.
“To serve the people, to uphold and defend our Constitution, and if needed, and if and it is called on them, to be willing to lay their lives down to protect them,” he said.
