TOWNSEND — Memorial Day will be observed in Townsend on Sunday, May 24 and members of the Townsend VFW and American Legion posts and their Auxiliaries will attend a 10 a.m. service at the Congregational Church in Townsend as a body.
Two parades and a band concert will take place in the afternoon. All marching units will assemble at the VFW Park in West Townsend at 1 p.m.
Rev. Ronald Sylvester will offer the invocation at the memorial service to be held there at 1:30 p.m. before the Veterans’ groups accompanied by the Townsend Military Band, the Townsend Fire/EMS Department, the Townsend Minuteman Company, members of the clergy, town officials, and numerous scout and other community groups march east on Main Street to Canal Street.
Flowers will be strewn upon the water from a decorated boat during the memorial service at the Canal Street Bridge in honor of those who lost their lives at sea. Pastor Jeff Willett will offer the prayer during the service at the bridge. Following the bridge service, all units will proceed to
the Riverside Cemetery for a memorial service. Pastor Jeff Willett will give the invocation, the Townsend Military Band will play a hymn, volleys will be fired by the American Legion Post No. 199 Firing Squad, and taps will be played.
The parade will disband after leaving the cemetery to later reform in front of the Spaulding Memorial School in Townsend Center. At approximately 2:35 p.m. the Townsend Minuteman Company will fire a salute at the Bicentennial Monument in front of the school before the
marching units move down Turnpike Road to the Main Street Bridge. Those who lost their lives at sea will also be honored during the Main Street Bridge memorial service with flowers being strewn upon the water from a decorated boat. Rev. Dr. Gregory Schmidt will offer the invocation at the bridge.
Following the service at the bridge the marchers will parade to Memorial Hall for a memorial service. Rev. Dr. Schmidt will offer the invocation at Memorial Hall. The parade will then pass around the Common and go to the Hillside Cemetery for a memorial service where Father Sean Maher will offer the prayer.
The Freemasons of the Grand of Massachusetts, who will join the parade at the school, will separate from the other marchers at the cemetery so they may conduct a special memorial service at the grave of Henry Price, the founder of Masonry in America.
After leaving the cemetery, the parade will move down Highland Street to Brookline Street and into the Townsend Common. Father Sean Maher will give the invocation during the memorial service on the Common which will be followed by the presentation of the Gettysburg Address by a Boy Scout and Flanders Field by a Girl Scout. The parade will disband after the memorial service at the Civil War Monument on the Common.
Townsend’s Memorial Day observances will continue as the Townsend Military Band plays a concert on the Common beginning approximately fifteen minutes after the parade’s conclusion.
Patriotic music and the songs of the various military branches will be performed before the Townsend Military Band concludes its Memorial Day concert at approximately 5 p.m. by playing the “Star Spangled Banner.”
The Townsend Memorial Day observances will be held rain or shine. It is hoped that many area residents will come out to watch the ceremonies. All Veterans and active military, with or without a uniform, and/or members of their families are encouraged to march with the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veteran members and to join them in honoring all deceased Comrades.
-Townsend VFW Post No. 6538
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