[Speaker 1] (0:05 - 0:24)
My name is Mike Sweeney, I'm the Director of Veteran Services for Lynn and Swampscot and I'm proud to be here today with you as we mark Memorial Day here in the town of Swampscot. I'd like to begin by calling forward Jeffrey Blunder, Commander of DAV Chapter 64, to lead us in prayer.

[Speaker 7] (0:34 - 2:03)
A prayer for remembrance and peace on Memorial Day. Our God and God of our ancestors, as we observe another Memorial Day in America, bless us with the gifts of memory and understanding that we may appreciate the true meaning of this day, an annual occasion to honor the brave men and women who gave their lives for our country and for their fellow citizens. God of compassion, let those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live in freedom, rest in peace.

Honored by a grateful nation, remember their parents, partners, children, and all the loved ones they left behind. Protect and comfort them, bring them peace. God of justice, remind us of the debt we owe to those who lost their lives in defense of our nation and to the families that go on without them.

Fill the hearts of every American with pride in those who served and caring concerns for the survivors. May it be your will that every American be rededicated to the task of building a nation worthy of the sacrifices made by our honored dead. And may it be your will also that all of us pursue a just peace throughout the world so that no more lives are lost in armed conflicts anywhere in your creation.

And let us say amen.

[Speaker 1] (2:27 - 3:35)
Post to colors, I would now ask you to please rise as members of VFW Post 1240, VFW Post 1240 Auxiliary, American Legion Post 57, DAV Chapter 64, Girl Scout Junior Brownie and Daisy Scouts of Ocean Bay and Swamp Scout Boy Scouts of America Troop 53 and Cub Scouts Pack 55 join us up front to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

[Speaker 10] (4:24 - 4:42)
And salute. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[Speaker 1] (4:45 - 5:23)
Please remain standing as Scout Myers, a student at Swamp Scout High School, sings the National Anthem. Scout.

[Speaker 8] (5:24 - 7:11)
Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight And the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

[Speaker 1] (7:43 - 8:05)
Please be seated. It's now my pleasure to call forward Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald with the greetings of the town.

[Speaker 4] (8:15 - 11:26)
Well, good morning, everybody. I want to begin by just thanking all of our young citizens for being here today. It's so important that you're here.

There's nothing more important for you to do today than to think about the sacrifices that those who gave all provided for our freedoms. But I don't just want folks thinking about freedoms today. I want you to think about equality and duty and all of the values that underpin this great American experience.

We talk a lot about freedoms, but we don't talk enough about duty. We don't talk enough about the sacrifices that those who have given their lives and the families that raised those extraordinary citizens bear so that we can have such an extraordinary community, such an extraordinary country. We've got to do more to break down those conversations that divide us.

We don't have any conservatives here today. We don't have any liberals here today. We don't have anybody here that has anything other than the pride and the respect and the commitment to carry that torch as Americans.

We are one. We are a country of absolutely extraordinary diversity. We're getting more and more diverse, but we have to carry that torch that says we will never forget those that have made the most extraordinary sacrifice.

It is such a gift for our young citizens to be here today to help every one of our veterans understand that this is a legacy that we'll preserve. This is an obligation that we have to continue to think about those that have made those extraordinary sacrifices. I want to thank our veterans organizations over the last year.

We have met monthly to talk about ways that we can continue to serve our veterans. We have to do more. There's no community in this commonwealth that is doing enough for our veterans.

We're seeing extraordinary need. I'm proud of Swampskate. Swampskate recently made a $1.7 million investment to focus on veterans housing. But there's more for us to do. There's more programs. There's more services.

And there's more community that we have to build. With that, I want to thank everybody for being here today. There's no more important place for you to be.

There's no more important thing for you to do than to stand here and to reflect on the extraordinary sacrifices, the extraordinary gift, but your duty to continue to support the ideals of this democracy. Thank you all so much.

[Speaker 1] (11:42 - 12:20)
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention some of the other elected officials that are here today that aren't part of our speaking program. Mary Ellen Fletcher from the Select Board, thank you for being here. Select Board member Peter Spellios.

And first Memorial Day is a Select Board member, Doug Thompson. That brings us to our next speaker, the acting chair of the Swampscott Select Board, David Krishman. David.

[Speaker 6] (12:30 - 15:18)
Good morning. On Memorial Day, a tradition dictates that the stars and stripes are raised briskly against the wind to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered into the position of half-staff where it remains only until noon. It is then raised to full staff for the remainder of the day.

The half-staff position remembers the men and women who gave their lives in service of their nation. At noon, their memory is raised by the living who resolve not to let their sacrifice be in vain, but to rise up in their stead and continue the fight for liberty. Never forget.

From the American Revolution to the global war on terrorism, more than one million American veterans had made the supreme sacrifice. They died so that we could continue to cherish the things they loved, God, country, and family. That is why we're gathered here today on Memorial Day, to honor the memory of our fallen warriors who have given everything for their country.

Today, we honor not only the soldiers lost, but the families of those lost. For you bear so great a burden that only you can comprehend. We are grateful for the support you gave your soldier so they could carry out their mission of protecting the rest of us.

It's our responsibility as citizens, citizens of the Commonwealth, and as Americans, to remember the nation's brave fallen men and women, whether they died on foreign lands in the heat of battle or after a lifetime in uniform. Never forget the men and women who know all too much the cost of our freedom, for their service to the country is the greatest gift of all. Memorial Day is not about picnics, not about parades, though there's nothing wrong with enjoying and celebrating our American way of life.

But Memorial Day is about gratitude and remembrance. It is about honoring the men and women who made it possible for us to gather here today in peace. And look, there are many tangible things we can do to honor the service of our fallen heroes.

First and foremost is take care of their loved ones. In some cases, this means providing financial assistance to help their children seek higher education. And right here in the town of Swampskate, it means, you know, looking to build veterans affordable housing.

But the reason there is a Memorial Day, the reason that we're gathered here is to remember those who gave their lives for their country and helped make our way of life possible. They are truly the guardians of our freedom. Again, thank you for inviting me to be a part of this ceremony.

God bless those deployed today in harm's way, providing us the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful day in our great nation. God bless her through these challenging times, and God bless each one of you. Thank you.

[Speaker 1] (15:33 - 15:39)
Our next speaker has become a fixture in a very short period of time. Ladies and gentlemen, State Representative Jenny Armini.

[Speaker 3] (15:51 - 19:55)
Good morning, everyone. It is a joy to be with you today. I also bring the greetings of our wonderful State Senator Brendan Crichton, who is trying to get here.

Hopefully he will by the end, but he sends his greetings. This has been a picture perfect Memorial Day weekend. Beaches full, boats launched, annuals planted.

If your family is like mine, you prayed there was still propane left in the grill tank from the fall, and you devoured that first lobster roll of the season. But for the nearly 400 Massachusetts military families whose loved ones died in battle or as a result of their service to our country since 9-11, the weekend's more joyful traditions are always tinged with grief and sadness. The place at the table remains empty, the space in the photo unfilled.

We are here to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We are here to set aside time and space in our hearts to take that grief on as our own. Because as Winston Churchill said many decades ago, never was so much owed by so many to so few.

We owe Jared Raymond. We owe Jennifer Harris. We owe Justin Moores.

And we owe their families. The same can be said for our military service men and women who were lost in all the wars and conflicts memorialized right here in this cemetery. And those veterans with us today, we know you live with the memories of your fallen comrades.

We know you feel deeply their suffering and their sacrifice. We can't walk in your shoes, but we can and do support you. Mike Sweeney recently reminded me that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Beirut bombings.

It struck a nerve with me. I was 14 and I remember the images of demolished buildings and trapped bodies. At 6.22 on the morning of October 23rd, 1983, a civilian drove an ordinary truck into the barracks of the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. That truck was loaded with 12,000 pounds of TNT, recording the largest non-nuclear blast ever. That day, a new kind of front opened up. Brutal, unpredictable terrorism with our troops as targets.

This wasn't an official war, but it certainly felt like one. The result was 241 dead, the deadliest day for Marines since Iwo Jima, and the deadliest day for all our armed forces since the Tet Offensive. Forty years on, we remember those troops today.

Because it is through remembering that we honor our dead and we keep them alive for the ages. It's how we as citizens rededicate ourselves to the values for which they died. And it's through remembering that we create a safer, more stable tomorrow for our children.

That's why we're here, and I'm so proud to be here with you. Thank you.

[Speaker 1] (20:10 - 27:20)
Our next part of the program, we play the Medley of Service Songs. So please feel free when your service is played or the service of a relative or a loved one, please feel free to stand or raise your hand or sing along if you know the words. Ladies and gentlemen, the Medley of Service Songs.

The United States Army. The United States Navy. The United States Marine Corps.

The United States Air Force. The United States Coast Guard. For those of you wondering, we are desperately trying to get one of these with the Space Force theme played at the end.

We should keep in mind that there are men and women serving today in the Space Force around the world in our defense, so we should give them a round of applause for Space Force as well. Before I move on, with all the branches that we just heard their songs, I encourage you, before you leave today, to take a walk and look in front of us here in Swampscot's Veterans' Lot. You'll see that people are next to each other, different services, different eras, same flag.

So while we do tend to give each other a hard time depending on the service, I like to play the Army song just so that the Marines know there's another song. But we all fight under the same flag and we all fight for the same reasons, and I think I heard, I mess this quote up sometimes, so let's call it, I'm paraphrasing, that people don't fight what's in front of them, they fight to defend what's in back of them, what's at home. And I think that's as poignant of a statement in that regard that I can touch on.

And with that in mind, I hope during the weekend people can take a moment, and I'll bring it up again at the end because I want to beat that dead horse, I hope people can go to Town Hall and look at the markers for the fallen, the faces of the fallen, the field of the fallen. Our partnership with Military Friends Foundation, you get to see not just the names, but the stories of the men and women who we've lost since 9-11. It's important.

And I think throughout the weekend we've seen families just walk through with their children, and I think that it's hard for a lot of us who fast approach middle age to realize that so many of these young men and women, young boys and girls, weren't alive during 9-11, and this is how we make sure they know. Really, I'd be remiss if I didn't say thank you one more time to all the youth groups that are here today, including the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts of Ocean Bay. Thank you so much.

You guys are always here. And I would be one more time remiss if I did not say thank you to our Swamp Scout Police and Fire Department that are here today. Thank you so much.

Our next reading is a poem called Freedom Isn't Free. It's going to be read by Jack Henry Wagler from Swamp Scout Boy Scout Troop 53. Give him a round of applause.

This is his third year doing it. We're going to try to keep him as long as we can, but he does such a great job. We keep asking him to come back every year.

Ladies and gentlemen, please, a round of applause.

[Speaker 9] (27:35 - 28:49)
Freedom Is Not Free by Kelly Strong I watched the flag pass by one day. It fluttered in the breeze. A young Marine saluted it, and then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform, so young, so tall, so proud. With hair cut square and eyes alert, he'd stand out in any crowd. I thought how many men like him had fallen through the years.

How many died on foreign soil. How many mothers' tears. How many pilots' planes shot down.

How many died at sea. How many foxholes were soldiers' grades. No, freedom is not free.

I heard the sounds of taps one night, when everything was still. I listened to the bugler play and felt a sudden chill. I wondered just how many times that taps had meant amen, when a flag had draped a coffin of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children, of the mothers and the wives, of fathers, sons, and husbands with interrupted lives. I thought about a graveyard at the bottom of the sea, of unmarked graves in Arlington. No, freedom is not free.

Thank you.

[Speaker 1] (29:02 - 29:07)
It's now my pleasure to welcome forward Gail Bashrach to sing America.

[Speaker 5] (29:29 - 30:23)
If you'd like to join along, I'd love that. O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountains' majesties Above thy fruited plain, America, America, God shed his grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.

[Speaker 1] (30:45 - 33:27)
It's now my honor to introduce our keynote speaker, Command Sergeant Major Bernard Medor. Command Sergeant Major Medor began his career in 1987, joining the Massachusetts Army National Guard. He served in transportation initially as a truck driver.

He worked in an infantry unit. He's done everything. Been deployed to Iraq twice.

In 2013, 10 years ago, Command Sergeant Major Medor was taking part in the Boston Marathon in an event called Tough Rock. A rucksack on his back with the names of the fallen in honor of the fallen, he and his company. At the end of the marathon, we all know what happened.

Command Sergeant Major Medor and others that day sprung into action, gave assistance, and like so many other people that day 10 years ago, helped out their fellow man, their fellow woman, helped out people next to them. For that, Command Sergeant Major Medor and two others in his unit were awarded the Soldier's Medal, which many of you know is the highest award to be given during peacetime to a soldier. I'm not only lucky to know him as a Command Sergeant Major, he's my Command Sergeant Major.

I got to meet him after the bombing, but I can tell you on a personal level, having done nine subsequent Tough Rocks with him, marathons, he can do the math. I don't want to. But 26.2 gets to you. What he did was incredible. What the men with him did was incredible. But when you get to know them and you get to know those men, you know that it isn't.

It's just what they do. It's that sense of duty, that sense of honor. And I think back in 1987, I think for a lot of people who joined the military, the military is better off for having had them serve.

And I think I'll also say he's very proud because his son is about to join the Air Force. Ladies and gentlemen, Command Sergeant Major Bernard Medor.

[Speaker 2] (33:29 - 39:28)
Good morning. One thing he didn't mention is I'm not a very good speaker to crowds. Typically, I'm not keynote anything.

I'm just a Sergeant Major in the Army. I'm very humbled here today, to be here today in Swampscott. Thank you, Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald, Swampscott Select Board, Swampscott veterans, Representative Jenny Armini, Brigadier General Andrea Gail Bennett, and Sergeant First Class Michael Sweeney for inviting me.

Truly an honor. I have spent over 236 miles, I think that's the math, walking with Michael across Concord carrying a 50-pound ruck. And when you do that, you get to know the person.

I didn't know him before. I met him through his wife while he was deployed in Afghanistan. And you get to know more about veteran organizations and the support that they do.

It's truly amazing. It has made me strive to be a better leader, a more understanding soldier, and someone that I can actually help other people. So thank you, Michael.

Pausing to remember and honor American fallen service members is a practice dating back to more than a century. Since the days of the Civil War, Americans have gathered together on Memorial Day to remember and pay tribute to all those who have fought and selflessly surrendered their precious gift of life so that others can live free. This morning in Swampscott and in towns across the nation, people gather in solemn and unified remembrance to honor the fallen defenders of our freedoms, a freedom that has come at a great cost, paid for with the lives of our sons and daughters, husbands and wives, sisters and brothers, friends and comrades.

Every American owes a great debt to the courageous men and women who have selflessly given their life, given their all to defend and protect our way of life, while giving back to the extent they deserve is impossible. Celebrating their memory and honoring their most selfless deeds offers a start. The remembrance this weekend at the memorials for Captain Jennifer Harris, United States Marine pilot who perished with her crew, and Army Specialist Jared Raymond, who loved playing soldier as a child and would ultimately give his life for our freedoms while in Iraq.

And to feel the heroes' display for all those on Town Hall all help ensure that the legacies of the American heroes will continue on for generations to come. As barbecues and picnics and other activities take place this weekend, we must remain ever cognizant of the expensive price tag that comes along with these daily freedoms we enjoy. More than one million American service members have died in wars and conflicts this nation has fought since the first colonial soldiers took up arms in 1775 in the fight for their independence.

Those who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live free of tyranny and fear believe in something greater than themselves. They believe in an American way of life and were willing to die protecting it. You heard my bio.

I have proudly served as a soldier for 36 years. But the most important mission I've ever been part of is being a member of the Casualty Assistance Team. Such is the honor guard you see here.

It's something you're asked to do, you want to do, and it's an honor to do it. The Casualty Assistance Officers, the role I took, often refer to the CAO. I've had the distinct pleasure to perform this duty three times in my career.

The duties of the CAO are to assist the families of the fallen with all aspects of bringing their fallen service member home and to their final resting place. This is a duty that takes the highest precedence throughout the military, one that must be conducted with the ultimate level of respect and care. Throughout the time, you get to know the family members as well as their fallen service members through a lens not typical to an outsider to be allowed.

As a soldier, we get to know our fellow service members and battle buddies. We serve, train, deploy, and fight. As a friend or neighbor, we see what happens next door, but it's only sometimes that you only see on the surface and understand the family dynamics.

As a CAO, you get to know a whole lot more than you expected, and one constant that I've learned is the pride in which the family and all those associated have for their fallen service member. They want to be remembered as they know them and the soldier they were. Memorial Day is the day in which our nation dedicates to those who have fallen.

Memorial Day is the one day that we all remember, but every day those families remember. Service requires remembrance with compassion and believing that human dignity and independence are inseparable. America's armed forces have courageously defended our freedom.

Because of them, we enjoy our freedom. Because of them, we have a proud heritage. And because of them, we live in comfort and security.

It is with this in mind that I say thank you to the town of Swampscott for continuing to honor their service and sacrifice. To our Gold Star families, we stand with you and we pledge to always remember. God bless your heroes, and God bless America.

[Speaker 1] (39:50 - 41:38)
If we could get one more round of applause for Command Sergeant Major Medour. Thank you for being here today. I would now like to ask Jackie Raymond, Gold Star Mother of Army Specialist Jared Raymond, and Ray Harris, Gold Star Father, Marine Captain Jennifer Harris, to lay a wreath in honor of Swampscott's fallen.

I now ask you to please join me in a moment of silence.

[Speaker 5] (42:40 - 44:50)
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see.

[Speaker 1] (45:08 - 45:15)
And now once again, I ask Jeffrey Blonder, Commander of DAV Chapter 64, for the closing prayer.

[Speaker 7] (45:24 - 46:40)
We remember them. As the rising sun and it's going down, we remember them. At the blowing of the wind and the chill of winter, we remember them.

At the opening of the buds and the rebirth of the buds, we remember them. At the rustling of the leaves and the beauty of autumn, we remember them. At the beginning of the year and at the end, we remember them.

As long as we live, they too will live, for they are now part of us. We remember them. When we are weary and in need of strength, we remember them.

When we are lost and sick at heart, we remember them. When we have decisions that are difficult to make, we remember them. When we have joy we crave to share, we remember them.

When we have achievements that are based on theirs, we remember them. For as long as we live, they too shall live. We remember them.

May their memories always be in our hearts and minds. We remember them. Thank you.

[Speaker 1] (46:52 - 50:07)
Thank you. Thank you, Jeffrey. Please be seated.

I promise this part will be brief. We're just closing up. I want to say thank you.

These events, these days, these weekends, these events, these ways we honor the fallen, they don't happen by accident. I just want to go around one more time to say thank you to the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts of Ocean Bay, Scouts of Ocean Bay, our veterans organizations, and in particular, if I one more time want to say thank you to Scout Myers for singing the National Anthem. Give her a round of applause.

But this whole week we've been trying to get stuff done and it's always work. And this week, if you notice, we had an issue with the flagpole. The fire department came up.

As soon as we got the equipment for them, that flag went up right away. I want to say thank you to the Swamp Scout Fire Department for doing that this week. They even took pictures of the top of the pole to show us what was broken, so it worked.

But thank you for that. But that wasn't done because they had to. I mean, they had to.

I guess they were told. But they all wanted to do it. They all wanted to do it for the same reason.

All of you are here today, so thank you. Thank you very much. And I also want to make a note.

Essex County, of course, Tom Driscoll is here too. I just saw him a little while ago. Sorry for missing you earlier, Tom.

Tom is at every event, so I want to make sure I mention him. And I want to say thank you in particular to our veterans organizations. After this, there will be a collation at Veterans Crossing, 8 Pine Street, hosted by the VFW 1240 Auxiliary.

Their leader, Susan Bishop, is here today, who has done incredible work over the last couple of years. Susan, I think you deserve in particular a round of applause for everything you've done. Whether it's day-to-day work like this, like calling us up with smaller things that may seem small but stay small because she's given us a heads-up on them, or this year when we did Wreaths Across America right here, all these veterans organizations took part and didn't just take part.

We met every week. We met right at the post. We met every single week, and we got it done, and we honored those that are here.

And I think yesterday at Jennifer Harris's memorial service, I mentioned there's an old quote from Ronald Reagan where he says, Those who say there are no heroes don't know where to look. And he was talking in particular at that moment about Arlington National Cemetery. But I think you could say that same thing about this cemetery in front of us here in Swampscott, about the men and women and how they've served and they continue to serve from this town and other towns like it and other cities across the country.

There are heroes. You just have to know where to look, and all of you here today are doing that. And I want to say thank you again for the support we've received and just the work, the partnership with the veterans organizations.

I know they're very excited about that $1.7 million for the whole housing, for affordable housing down there on Pine Street. But just every single day they're there to do work and they're there to help. And I think when we work together, we do better.

So thank you for allowing us to do that. One more time, please, if you get a chance, go by Town Hall on the Lawn this weekend and check out that display. It's going to be there until tomorrow.

Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our program. Thank you very much.