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American flags have been placed at every veteran's grave in Lynn's Pine Grove Cemetery in recognition of Memorial Day. (Spenser Hasak) Purchase this photo

A MEMORABLE DAY

More than just the start of summer

Briana Alvarez and Sophia Harris

by ,

Despite steady rain that altered or canceled many Memorial Day parades across the region, communities throughout the region gathered Monday to honor fallen service members and reflect on the sacrifices made in defense of the nation.

From waterfront ceremonies to cemetery observances, speakers and Veterans reminded attendees that Memorial Day is far more than the unofficial start of summer. It is a day set aside to remember those who never returned home from war, as well as those who succumbed to the wounds of combat long after the battlefield was behind them.

LYNN

Director of Veterans’ Services Mike Sweeney welcomed attendees before members of the Lynn Veterans’ Council led the Pledge of Allegiance inside City Hall.

The Lynn All-City Band performed the national anthem, and Richard Felton, chaplain of the Lynn Veterans’ Council, delivered the opening prayer.

Mayor Jared Nicholson, elected officials, and Veterans addressed the crowd throughout the ceremony.

“In many ways, it is fitting for us to be here,” Nicholson said. “This is Memorial City Hall, named in memory of those who gave their lives for our country.”

Nicholson reflected on the nation’s motto, E Pluribus Unum, and the sacrifices that have united Americans for generations.

“The idea of democracy has brought people together for 250 years,” Nicholson said. “But it’s more than just an idea. It’s the individuals who believed in that idea so strongly that they were called to lay down their lives for this country.”

The ceremony featured performances by Gayle Bastarache and the Lynn All-City Band, as well as a presentation by the Lynn English High School Marine Corps JROTC Drill Team.

Ward 1 Councilor Peter Meaney, a veteran, praised the community’s turnout.

“As a veteran myself and a city councilor serving this great city, I couldn’t be more proud of the community coming together and celebrating Memorial Day, even though the weather didn’t work out,” Meaney said.

The event concluded with remarks from Lynn Veterans’ Council President Wayne Johnson, followed by a patriotic medley, a moment of silence, and taps.

LYNNFIELD

Families carried small American flags as Lynnfield held its annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Lynnfield Middle School.

The ceremony began with the Honor Guard posting the colors, followed by opening remarks from Veterans Services Officer Bruce Siegel, who invited attendees to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem. 

Local Girl Scouts helped lead the pledge, while the Lynnfield High School Band performed the National Anthem and other patriotic selections throughout the program.

Father Paul Ritt of Ave Maria Parish/St. Maria Goretti Church delivered the invocation and later the benediction. 

The ceremony also featured a reading of a Memorial Day proclamation and the introduction of Lynnfield’s Project 351 ambassador, Joseph Dixon. 

Select Board Chair Alexis Leahy and State Senator Brendan Crighton delivered remarks, while Vietnam veteran Donald Monteiro shared reflections and was introduced with a reading of his biography.

Students played a prominent role in the observance. 

Middle school student Siena McKenna read the Gettysburg Address, while Julia Connelly, Declan Morrison, and Finn Romano read the town’s Honor Roll of veterans. 

The high school band also performed Taps, and bagpiper Ned Shinnick concluded the ceremony with “Amazing Grace.”

Siegel welcomed the crowd and reflected on the significance of the day.

“We are here today to recognize and honor those who never came home,” Siegel said. “The brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to serve, protect, and defend our great nation.”

Siegel urged residents to remember not only fallen service members but also the families left behind.

“Memorial Day 2026 is not just about looking back,” he said. “It’s about looking ahead toward the future we want to create. The best way we can honor our fallen heroes is by recommitting ourselves to the ideals they died for.”

The observance concluded with Siegel’s closing remarks, after which attendees were invited to a complimentary community barbecue, with Veterans receiving priority in the lunch line.

MARBLEHEAD

Under gray skies and a steady drizzle, residents gathered across Marblehead to honor fallen service members during the town’s annual Memorial Day observances, filling the streets, cemeteries, and waterfront despite uncertain weather forecasts.

From Clark’s Landing to Memorial Park and Waterside Cemetery, veterans, families, scouts, first responders, and town officials marched through town carrying umbrellas and American flags in a tradition many said felt especially meaningful this year.

“There are a lot of cities and towns across America that don’t do this,” said Commander of the VFW Post 2005 Ronny Knight. “They don’t celebrate this. They don’t honor it.”

Knight said Veterans were moved by the turnout, particularly as residents stood through the rain at multiple ceremonies throughout the morning.

“To watch people with umbrellas come, a lot of Veterans were awestruck by it,” Knight said. “I just think it shows there’s still an abiding faith here.”

The day began at 8 a.m. with a waterfront memorial service at Clark’s Landing before marchers gathered at the Old Town House for the Memorial Day parade. The procession traveled up Pleasant Street to Memorial Park, where residents packed the lawn for a ceremony honoring those who died in military service.

At Memorial Park, guest speaker Alejandra Parra-Orlandoni, a former U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer and current senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, spoke about sacrifice, grief, and the lasting impact of war long after service members return home.

“On Memorial Day, we honor the fallen. That is right, and that is sacred,” Parra-Orlandoni said. “Today I want to add something to that frame, because there are some service members who are technically here still with us who are, in a very real sense, falling right now.”

Parra-Orlandoni shared the story of Clayton, a gunner’s mate she once served with on her first ship, who later died by suicide after leaving the military.

“He inspired and energized all the people around him,” she said. “Years later, just about five years ago now, he was gone.”

She told attendees that since Sept. 11, 2001, more than four times as many U.S. Veterans and service members have died by suicide as were killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

“The fallen are beyond our reach,” Parra-Orlandoni said. “The falling are not. They answered the call, and the least we can do is answer back.”

The ceremony also included prayers, a proclamation from the Commonwealth, a reading of local Veterans who died since Veterans Day 2025, and a three-volley salute from reenactors of Glover’s Regiment.

During closing remarks, Knight read a message written by a friend with whom he served with overseas.

“For many, Memorial Day is a day off, the start of summer. For veterans, it’s a day that never really ends,” Knight read aloud. “It’s the memory of a voice they still hear, a laugh they can still picture, a name they will never stop saying in their heart.”

The message continued: “This is what Memorial Day looks like through our eyes. Not loss, but love. Not grief, but honor.”

Vietnam Veteran and Marblehead resident for 88 years, Ronald Robinson, said, “I love it,” when asked about what he thought about the day’s festivities. 

“A soldier never dies, they just fade away,” he said.

U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Calvin Titus, who was recently honored at the second annual Military Appreciation Day at the State House, said, “ It is a day to remember those who never made it home. We are so lucky and blessed to be able to honor them.”

Among the crowd were Heather and Brad Fuller and their daughters, Lilybelle Fuller, 13, and Ainsley Fuller, 12, who attended alongside their dogs, Daisy and Marigold.

The family said several relatives served in the military, including a cousin currently serving in the Air Force, relatives who served in Vietnam, and a great-grandfather who served during World War II.

Lilybelle Fuller said she especially wanted to attend the observances this year because of her growing interest in history.

“I really think we should all be honoring those who have died,” she said. “Nowadays in America, we often forget all those who fought on battlefields.”

She added, “We all can feel like this is normal, but it’s not. So many people around the world are in war.”

For many attendees, the rain and fog seemed to heighten the sense of remembrance.

“It was always very moving,” State Rep. Jenny Armini said of the early-morning waterfront ceremony. “Especially this morning, because it was so foggy. There were boats bobbing in the water. You could smell the salt and the fish in the air. It was a full sensory experience.”

After the ceremony at Memorial Park concluded, marchers continued to Waterside Cemetery for additional observances before returning to the Old Town House for the raising of the flag. The day closed with a barbecue hosted by the VFW.

As Veterans folded chairs, families exchanged final hugs, and volunteers began cleaning up, the clouds finally broke. 

Sunlight poured over the town after a long, gray morning, a warm and bright ending to a day spent remembering those who never came home.

NAHANT

Nahant residents gathered at Town Hall to remember those who died in military service through a ceremony featuring prayers, patriotic music, and reflections on sacrifice.

The program included an invocation and benediction, recognition of Veterans and honored guests, a reading of the governor’s Memorial Day proclamation, recitation of the Gettysburg Address, and the reading of the names of deceased veterans. The ceremony also featured a rifle salute, the sounding of taps, the Navy Hymn, and the raising of the colors from half-staff to full-staff.

Dr. Eleanor Ruth Fisher reflected on the importance of community remembrance.

“Today represents a greater community coming together to celebrate and honor those who have passed and are no longer with us physically,” Fisher said. “We are so aware of their sacrifices. It isn’t just their sacrifices, it is the sacrifices of their family who stood behind them and encouraged them.”

American Legion Auxiliary Post 215 Commander Dennis Treece emphasized the distinction between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

“It’s all about Veterans who have died for our country,” Treece said. “Veterans Day honors all veterans, but Memorial Day honors the Veterans who gave it their all.”

Following the ceremony, residents gathered at the Nahant Life Saving Station, where the American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of the American Legion, and the Town of Nahant hosted a community coalition in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

PEABODY

Residents gathered for a ceremony honoring fallen service members at City Hall in Wiggins Auditorium. The event featured participation from the Peabody Veterans Council, Mayor Edward Bettencourt Jr., Director of Veterans Services, and Army Capt. Steve Patten, the Peabody Police and Fire Departments, and the Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Air Force JROTC.

Alyson Patton performed the national anthem, while Nicholas Charros and Logan Cersale Messina provided musical accompaniment.

Peabody Veterans Council Commander Lt. Robert Dunne reminded attendees of the true meaning of Memorial Day.

“Memorial Day is a day of remembrance,” Dunne said. “Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. The flag flies with the last breath of every service member who died protecting it.”

Standing before the city’s war memorials, Dunne encouraged residents to remember those whose names are engraved there.

“Please take a moment to read their names,” he said. “If you knew them, share their stories.”

The ceremony concluded with recognition of those who helped organize the event and maintain the tradition of honoring Peabody’s fallen veterans.

SWAMPSCOTT

Swampscott’s Memorial Day observances began before Monday’s ceremony, as volunteers gathered at Town Hall on May 22 to place American flags along Monument Avenue. The display will remain through May 27 as a tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation’s freedoms.

On the morning of Memorial Day, residents gathered inside Andrews Chapel at Swampscott Cemetery. Veterans organizations, scouts, and community members filled the chapel to honor fallen service members.

Director of Veterans’ Services and Afghanistan veteran Mike Sweeney welcomed attendees before Reverend Mark Templeman delivered the opening prayer. Members of VFW Post 1240, the American Legion, DAV Chapter 64, local Girl Scout troops, and Swampscott Scouts BSA Troop 53 joined together to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

Swampscott High School student Scout Myers performed the national anthem, while Gayle Bastarache sang “America” and later closed the ceremony with “Amazing Grace.”

Retired Brigadier General Tom Sellars of the Massachusetts Army National Guard delivered the keynote address. The ceremony also featured a medley of military service songs and a reading by Henry Schneider of Troop 53.

The event concluded with a wreath-laying ceremony honoring Swampscott’s fallen service members. Jaclyn Raymond, Gold Star Mother of Army Specialist Jared Raymond, and Raymond Harris, Gold Star Father of Marine Captain Jennifer Harris, participated in the tribute before a moment of silence and the sounding of Taps.

Among those in attendance were members of the Marine Corps League, U.S. Marines, local police officers, select board members, and numerous Veterans organizations.

“It’s about respect and honor,” one Swampscott resident said. “I have a son still in service. He’s a major in Vermont. A lot of townspeople are veterans.”

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