[Speaker 1] (0:06 - 0:28) Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mike Sweeney. I'm the Director of Veteran Services for the Lynn and Swampscott Department of Veteran Services. I want to welcome you here today for our Swampscott 2024 Memorial Day Ceremony. I would ask you to join us as Alex Peños from the Captain Jennifer Harris Marine Corps League Detachment 1302 leads us in prayer. [Speaker 8] (0:32 - 1:45) Uncover. Oh God, we thank you for the freedom we enjoy in our country and pray that our liberties will continue to be protected. Thank you for those who have fought for our freedoms and who have faithfully served our country. We honor their sacrifices and their courage and on this Memorial Day we pause to remember those brave souls who did not come home. Bless their families and comfort them with the thankful prayers of a grateful nation. We thank you for our veterans past and present and ask you that you help us continue to honor their sacrifices. I also include our first responders who were in the military and always protect us and are there for us. They lose their lives as well protecting us. We have to remember them. Cover. [Speaker 1] (1:52 - 2:44) I ask you to please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance led by members of leadership and membership of VFW Post 1240, VFW Post 1240 Auxiliary, American Legion Post 57, DAV Chapter 64, the Girl Scouts, Junior Brownie and Daisy Scouts of Ocean Bay, Swampskid Scouts 253, and Cub Scout Pack 55. The reason I wanted to go through that is so that we understand that I love this tradition. The children of the community join with our veterans to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Please remain standing for the national anthem sung by Scout Myers from Swampscot High School. 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 6] (2:44 - 4:09) 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 for the land. [Speaker 1] (4:30 - 5:39) One more time for everybody to get into a part of that please. Thank you. Before I begin I want to hope everybody and remind everybody if they haven't seen it already to please go down to Monument Ave this weekend. In the middle of the week probably sometime we'll be taking those flags down. I'll be there for a short period of time but you'll see a field of flags in honor of the fallen. It's something we were able to do in partnership with the Military Friends Foundation and local, we mentioned the Boy Scouts, the fire department, the police department, DBW. Everyone always wants to thank Gino for a good reason. Thank you Gino and his team. But I hope that when people see that they'll take a moment not only to look how beautiful it is but to reflect on what it means because far too many of us in this world may want to thank you all for being here because far far too many people on weekends like this never stop to remember why we have the weekend. Ladies and gentlemen our first speaker to give the greetings of the town of Swampscott, Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald. [Speaker 5] (5:39 - 8:13) Thank you. I'm grateful to Swampscott for not just gathering here today but for spending the year thinking about the incredible sacrifices that our veterans have made so that we can enjoy our freedoms. As Mike said if you go down to Town Hall you'll see the flags. These flags represent the lives that were given so that we could be free. Isn't it wonderful to think that folks would give it all so that we could enjoy so many blessings as Americans. We hear constantly about the strife, about all of the problems that we have in this day and age but we don't think enough about what connects us all, what gives us all a sense of freedom to choose to live our lives as we see fit, to really connect as a community. You know we are Americans because of sacrifices that have been made. Swampscott history is so rich. You know we talk about General Glover but you think about our Civil War monument on our waterfront and memorial you know all the way down Monument Ave for all of the wars, all of the lives that have been lost. We should leave here with gratitude and we should leave here feeling a little bit of a sense of obligation to carry the torch and make sure that everybody knows that these sacrifices will never be forgotten. I am proud of Swampscott during the pandemic. Mike, you and Sarah and frankly so many volunteers put placards up of all of our veterans that we had lost during the war on terror. This effort to continue to not just make Memorial Day an hour or an event down here but a whole weekend that really gives everybody a sense of how important it is for us to gather as a community and think about these lives is extraordinary. This does not happen everywhere. Take time to appreciate the extraordinary investments that people make to ensure that this democracy not only will be preserved but will thrive. Thank you everybody for being here. Nothing more important to do today than to be right here right now. Thank you. [Speaker 1] (8:21 - 11:49) And I want to make note of our other members of the Board of Selectors that are here. Later on you'll be hearing from David Grishman, the Chair. Mary Ellen Fletcher is here and Douglas Thompson. I want to thank them all for being here and for their support for what we're doing here and Tom Driscoll, Essex County Clerk of Courts is here with us. He's here every year. I want to say thank you so much. He's a fixture at these events, flag engraved, just a real friend. Also from the State Delegation, our State Rep, Jenny Armini is here. Thank you so much Jenny for being here once again. And I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge with us today neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Baker, Governor Baker, Mrs. Baker, thank you for being here with us today. It's now my honor to introduce Gail Bastrak to sing America. It's now my honor to introduce someone I'm proud to call a friend and as I always say when I met Tommy I didn't have any gray hair so I don't know what happened but that's up in the period of time that I've known him is a is not about half of what he's even less than that of what he's been putting in. He has spent his life working with and taking care of veterans and their families. As a Vietnam veteran, as a combat veteran returning home from Vietnam, he spearheaded the effort in South Boston to create the very first Vietnam memorial for his brothers who did not come home. Since then his advocacy has led him to the City of Boston Department of Veteran Services, the Boston Veterans Shelter, Mass Housing, in leadership roles and most recently as the chair of the Soldiers Home in Chelsea Board of Trustees. I can tell you sincerely that the way we take care of veterans here in Massachusetts bears a stamp in the hard work of Tommy Lyons and we're happy to have him here today. We're proud to have him here today. Ladies and gentlemen, Tommy Lyons. [Speaker 2] (11:58 - 19:30) First off, I'm glad I still have hair so it's okay to have gray hair. Good morning. Senator Creighton, Representative Amini, Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald, Board Chairman Cushman, Board Members, Gold Star families, fellow veterans, ladies and gentlemen. It's an honor to be among you on this very special day of remembrance. It is a tribute to all who have served our country that so many of you chose to gather here today and collectively honor our fallen comrades from so many battlefields and too many wars. Memorial Day, I think, is the most touching and appropriate way of remembering sacrifice that one can imagine. By honoring the sons of Swampscarp, we honor the greatness of the sacrifice of all Americans who have faced terror and died young so that others might live in peace. Today we honor and remember fellow Vietnam veterans Captain Walter H. Forbes III, United States Air Force, Captain Allen B. Harriman, United States Army, Major George E. Hussey, United States Army, and Captain Jennifer H. Harris, United States Marine Corps in Iraq. It's been said people need not so much to be informed as they need to be reminded. Today we are reminded of General Logan's General Order, which created Decoration Day. General Logan had in mind a day that would honor the soldiers of the Union Army after the war between the states. And how ironic it must have seemed in 1950 when in May Congress passed a law asking the President to proclaim Memorial Day, a day of prayer for permanent peace, and then scarcely a month later our soldiers and marines were dying on the battlefields of Korea. On this day, we remember the dying dead from the battlefields that scar our history. Those of us who have seen war's ugliness know that a battlefield does not honor its dead. It devours them without ceremony. Nor does a battlefield honor its heroes. It marks their sacrifice with continuing misery and terror. It is for those who survived to remember service and sacrifice and to honor our heroes. To care enough to be here, each one of us has made a journey across the landscape of love, loss, and memory. I'm reminded of a frequent epitaph on the tombstone of Confederate soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery. How many dreams died here? It's a question parents, wives, children have asked too often in the course of our history. A question that creates a double duty in those of us who care enough to remember sacrifice today. The first duty is to remember. William Gladstone, former British Prime Minister, once said, show me the manner in which a nation or a community cares for its dead and I will measure exactly the sympathies of the people, the respect for the laws of the land, and the loyalty to high ideals. I would say this is especially true for our servicemen and women who have perished because of their loyalty and ideals. The second duty is to keep this country strong. Wars are not prevented or dreams preserved because one side is more logical or more kind. This country is strong and great because it's been strong. It's been strong because its individual citizens have believed in its uniqueness so strongly that they have been willing to provide for the common defense and, if necessary, to take up arms on its behalf. In the middle of a town like Swampspot or in the corner of a cemetery all over this country, the praise that will make its way into the sunlight and balmy breezes carry on the lips of countless speakers like me, given the honor to be standing here before you, is a rather simple one. Keep the faith, for that is what we do today, no more and no less. In our own humble way, we try to remain true to a faith that transcends the confines of our own individual stories. We keep the faith of our fathers and their fathers before them. We keep the faith which says in a whisper, too loud and too strong to ignore, that the price of freedom is not cheap. As we gather today, our country just entered two wars. Once again, we've seen flayed great coffins from a distant battlefield. Once again, our sons and daughters have made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf and they continue to serve our military around the world today. It's been said that the pace of our lives has grown faster and faster, but the span of our memory has grown shorter and shorter. In a moment such as this, memory is everything. Memory is what sustains the bridge to common past and keeps alive the heroism and devotion that has enabled us to remain free. So as we remember those who have fallen, let us remember that peace is brought not with a wish, but with the price of dedicated service. Along the base of the South Boston Vietnam Memorial, under the names of the 25 young men from South Boston killed in Vietnam, there are 10 words which sum up all that I've been trying to say. I also believe that it sums up what this day is all about. If you forget my death, then I died in vain. These words do not speak about bravery or valor, duty or honor. They speak to what they in fact they do not speak to the dead or about them. They speak to us, the living. For it is us who have been charged with the awesome responsibility of giving meaning and yes, even life to the ultimate sacrifice they made on our behalf. If we, the family, the friends and the veterans they left behind do not take the time or make the commitment to remember, then their deaths indeed will have been in vain. We must remember this sacrifice and never forget. For a poor is a nation that has no heroes. Shameful is a nation that has them and forgets. Thank you ladies and gentlemen for allowing me to be here today with this special service. Thank you. [Speaker 1] (19:36 - 25:41) One more time, maybe a round of applause here for Tommy Lyons-Sumner. The lessons that we have learned as a country that many who served, when I served, took advantage of, and we don't confuse the war with the warrior. A few weeks ago the DAV hosted a breakfast for Vietnam veterans and there we talked about the fact that in the face of what so many Vietnam veterans had to deal with them when they got home, they still fought, not only for their own brothers, but they fought for those of us who have helped today. So not just for you Tommy, but I want to say thank you to the Vietnam veterans that are here tonight for fighting that fight so that we can stand on your shoulders and continue it as we move forward. So thank you again. Now one of my favorite parts of the program, if only to make sure that the Marines in the room, the area here, the cemetery, understand that there's more than just one service song. Tommy just said theirs is a hymn, so there you go. But what I ask you to do, we're going to play the medley of service songs and we ask all of you who are, it's your branch of service or one of your loved ones was, either you know stand or please raise your hand. Ladies and gentlemen, the service song medley. Ladies and gentlemen, as you can tell, this town and many of the things we do, whether we're flagging the graves of veterans here in Swampscott Cemetery, whether we're putting up that field of flags on Monument Ave or anything we really do, we wouldn't be able to do it without the kids from this community. And whether it's the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the Joe Doulette and his team from the high school videoing this right now, really it's not extra. It's a significant part and a key part of what we do. So I want to say thank you to the youth of Swampscott today. And it's with that that I'd like to introduce Adrian Laporte to read In Flanders Field. [Speaker 9] (25:43 - 26:20) In Flanders Field by John McRae. In Flanders fields the poppies blow between the crosses row on row that mark our place and in the sky. The larks so brilliantly singing fly scarce heads amid the guns blow. We are the dead short days ago. We lived called dawn saw sunset glow. Loved and were loved and now we lie in Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe. To you from failing hands we throw. The torch be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep though poppies grow in Flanders fields. Thank you. [Speaker 1] (26:29 - 26:44) Our next speaker is a fixture. She's here. She's here every time. My god, she's here no matter what we're doing. She gets here even if she has to race across to get here. She's committed to doing, to working with the veterans in the community. I want to say thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, State Representative Jenny Armini. [Speaker 3] (26:50 - 31:04) Soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, you are about to embark on the great crusade. With those now famous words, Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower began his order for the morning of June 6, 1944. What would follow was the largest amphibious warfare operation the world has ever seen, otherwise known as D-Day. In a little over a week, we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of this remarkable military feat which led to the decisive end of 20th century fascism. There are many interred here who contributed to that defeat. Their stones stand as enduring reminders of lives lived in service and sacrifice. They became known as the greatest generation because even after these Americans came home, those fortunate enough to do so, they carried that service mindset into their homes, their jobs, and their communities. But there were other wars and conflicts that would define generations that came after. Generations that were no less great in my estimation. The causes may not have been as unifying or even as clear as the Second World War, but the spirit of service, the love of country, and the dedication to mission and comrades were fierce. And that is what brings us here today. And most especially for Swanscott, the sacrifices of Jared and Jennifer and Justin and their families place the meaning of Memorial Day in sharp focus. Memorial Day gives us the opportunity to offer gratitude, gratitude to those who did whatever was asked, including the ultimate sacrifice, to maintain our freedoms and our way of life. But Memorial Day also urges us forward. It implores us to do more and be more, to recommit ourselves to the values and the spirit of those resting here. So back to D-Day. Less known is about the message Eisenhower prepared in case of defeat. Scrawled in pencil on a scrap of paper, the general wrote very simply, my decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air, and the Navy did all the bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone. Notice that General Eisenhower didn't say mistakes were made or I'm not allowed to comment. He was prepared to take full responsibility. His troops were not to blame. The buck stopped with him. Eisenhower's sense of honor is our inheritance. It is an honor familiar to those resting here and it is what can see us through our own challenging times. So while their service ended many years ago, our fallen heroes continue to shape and mold our country by their sacrifice and their example. Thanks to them, our future remains secure. Thank you. [Speaker 1] (31:15 - 32:50) And before our next speaker, I want to make a point. To my right, you see members and leadership of the Swanscott Veteran Posts. VFW Post 1240, Nelson Leon, Commander, thank you for being here. Dave Edmonton, who's the Quartermaster from the VFW Post 1240. Commander of the DAV, Jeffrey Wander. Thank you, Jeffrey. And I know he's out there somewhere. John DiPietro and other members of American Legion Post 57 are here. Thank you for being here. And right back there, usually kind of in the background, but doing a lot of the work there, is Susan Bishop from the VFW Post 1240 Auxiliary. I want to say thank you to her and her team. So that was a long way of going. They're inviting you back to the post for a coalition after this. Back to the Veterans Crossing, please feel free to get on there. They'll be down there, I'm sure, right as soon as we get out of here. But they always want to make sure that they open up the doors on Memorial Day and Veterans Day as a coalition to join with the community. So please join them there. Our next speaker is David Grishman, the Chair of the Swanscott Board of Selectmen. Ladies and gentlemen, he's going to say a few words. And part of that, he's going to be speaking about some brothers from Swanscott that I think you'll find interesting. [Speaker 4] (32:58 - 36:13) Good morning. Swanscott's been home to a long list of important historical figures, despite its small size. From revolutionary war hero, General John Glover, to L.E.U. Thompson, a co-founder of the General Electric Company, to Johnny Pesky, the much-loved Red Sox infielder for whom the Pesky Poll at Fenway Park is named. Of course, there are other less well-known figures whose lives we will also – we also should remember, and we'll do that this morning. It's been said that our dead are never dead to us unless we have forgotten them. So this morning, I want to highlight three Swanscott heroes briefly, as their story was new to me and perhaps to you. So you know, more than 1,300 honorably served in World War II from Swanscott, 50 of these brave souls were killed in action. Among these 50 Swanscotters were three local boys who played football for Swanscott High School and graduated in the class of 1940. The three friends, Gershon Ross, Blaine Kehoe, and George Foster, played for Swanscott High School, then called the Sculpits, and wore numbers 55, 65, and 75, respectively. The three friends comprised one of the greatest backfields in the history of Swanscott High School. After graduation, they went their separate ways, with Kehoe working at General Electric, and Ross and Foster continuing on with school and their football careers. They stayed in touch, reunited the following summer, only to return to Swanscott and enlist in December 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Gershon Ross, private first class in the Army, was killed in action at Lake Island in the a sourwood planted for Gershon Ross is still standing as part of the Memorial Arboretum at Town Hall. The body of George Foster, an ensign in the Navy, was never recovered following the crash of his patrol blimp in the Gulf of Mexico, April 16, 1944. Blaine Kehoe, Corporal for the U.S. Marine Corps, First Division, and Gold Star recipient, was killed in action at Cape Gloucester in the Solomon Islands, February 13, 1944. Blaine Kehoe is buried here in the Swanscott Cemetery. Ross is buried in Peabody. Ross Road, off of Puritan Road, is named in honor of him. 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 truly are our guardians of freedom. So thank you to Gershon, George, Blaine, Jared Raymond, Jennifer Harris, our Gold Star families, and the many, many, many others who made the ultimate sacrifice from Swanscott, from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and from around our great country. Again, thank you for inviting me to be part of this ceremony. God bless those deployed today in harm's way, providing us the opportunity to enjoy today in our great nation. God bless her through these challenging times, and God bless each and every one of you. Thank you. [Speaker 1] (36:16 - 38:03) I'd now like to ask Jackie Raymond, Gold Star mother of Army Specialist Jared Raymond and Raymond Harris, Gold Star father of Marine Corps Captain Jennifer Harris, to lay a wreath in honor of the fallen. Now I ask you to join me in a moment of silence for Specialist Jared Raymond, Captain Jennifer Harris, Specialist Justin Moores, in honor of Swanscott's fallen. [Speaker 7] (39:06 - 40:31) 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. To us grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. [Speaker 1] (40:35 - 41:36) This concludes our program today. Again, I invite you down to, or more importantly, our veterans organizations, invite you down to Veterans Crossing for a collation, and we, one more time, invite you to down to Monument Ave to look at the field of flags and, again, contemplate the meaning of the day. And I think I'd be remiss if I did not mention those field of flags. I say we do them in partnership with Military Friends Foundation. The Executive Director of the Military Friends Foundation is my wife, Sarah, so I want to say thank you to Sarah for everything you do. I'm not as dumb as I look. But ladies and gentlemen, once again, thank you for being here, and it really, every year gets bigger and bigger, and I want to say thank you once again to the town of Swanscott for the support of this and all the other things that not only we do, but our veterans organizations do in the community. So thank you. See you on Veterans Day.