By Ginger Allison, Concord Magazine Staff Writer.

First, the small small size and local flavor of these events are some of the best a little town like ours has to offer us. There's no big press of the crowd gathered from all over the world like we have during Patriot's day. It's simple: there's no parking or traffic problem. It's touching: these are OUR people we remember in a heartfelt way. These qualities make the ceremonies and parade quite personal and sweet.

Second, Memorial Day has become somewhat of a forgotten holiday for many. Yes, we have the day off and many of us picnic and barbecue, getting together with friends and family. We often don't connect to the purpose of the day, and that is to honor our fellow townspeople who gave their lives defending our country and its allies. Attendance at this parade is often quite small; let's see what we can do to reverse this trend.

Here are the events for this May 28th. The day begins at Rideout Playground in West Concord at 9 AM with a flag-raising ceremony. Everyone then marches to Kenneth Dunn Square a couple of blocks away for a ceremony, speeches, and salute by the Concord Minutemen. Marching back to the parking lot, the parade and crowd then disperses.

In the afternoon, a small parade begins at 2 PM at the Corner of Ash and Bedford Streets. This year, the singing WWI Doughboys (pictured above), the Concord Independant Battery, the Concord Minutemen, the Concord VFW and all Concord veterans, town officers, and others will march. The parade proceeds toward the center on Route 62, stopping for a short prayer, music, taps, musket and cannon fire at St. Bernard and Sleepy Hollow Cemeteries. There will be a pause after Sleepy Hollow in Monument Square to read the names of all Concord servicemen who have lost their lives in any war. Wreaths will be laid at all the monuments in the square. Follow the parade the entire way through each of the cemeteries, or meet the event somewhere along the way.

Photo: "The Singing Doughboys", a frequent participant in the afternoon parade. ©2001 Richard Stevenson
Artwork: Magnolia Station.