Memorial Day with the Soldiers' Monument Commission
Memorial Day for the Soldiers' Monument Commission was a very busy day, indeed!
10 a.m. We met on the monument grounds to set up for the day and to greet the VFW for a brief ceremony which includes the firing of a 3-gun salute to the Civil War veterans listed on the monument.
10 a.m. We met on the monument grounds to set up for the day and to greet the VFW for a brief ceremony which includes the firing of a 3-gun salute to the Civil War veterans listed on the monument.
After the program, veterans, scouts and some members of the commission and the public posed with a sign- #CTMatters- which is a reminder to legislatures-state and national- that historic preservation is important to communities.
11:30 a.m. After the ceremony, some of the commission members congregated at the town green to prepare for the post-parade ceremonies while others walked down to the start of the parade route to march in the parade-see the photo at the top of the page. Following is a link to the parade photos on the Register Citizen taken by Winsted's Anita Garnett: http://media.registercitizen.com/2015/05/25/photos-winsted-memorial-day-parade-2015/#1 The parade was again sponsored by the VFW Post #296, Commander Neil Hunt officiating.
12:30 p.m. The Soldiers' Monument Commission took charge of the post-parade ceremony. Jack Bourque was master-of-ceremonies for an event that included a Memorial Day speech by Todd Bryda, history professor at NCCC (see speech below), a moving poem - "Freedom is Not Free" read by Gilbert senior, Rik Emery. A surprise, that was not listed on the program, was the designation of Veteran of the Year presented to Chaplain David McGee by Grace Kelly. See Fox CT link- the first parade shown is Winsted: http://foxct.com/2015/05/25/after-winsteds-parade-a-surprise-honor-for-a-veteran/ The commission members played a prominent role at the ceremony reading off the names of those who died in the service of their country. Deb Kessler, dressed as a woman selling Victory Bonds, read the names of the dead from WWI.
12:30 p.m. The Soldiers' Monument Commission took charge of the post-parade ceremony. Jack Bourque was master-of-ceremonies for an event that included a Memorial Day speech by Todd Bryda, history professor at NCCC (see speech below), a moving poem - "Freedom is Not Free" read by Gilbert senior, Rik Emery. A surprise, that was not listed on the program, was the designation of Veteran of the Year presented to Chaplain David McGee by Grace Kelly. See Fox CT link- the first parade shown is Winsted: http://foxct.com/2015/05/25/after-winsteds-parade-a-surprise-honor-for-a-veteran/ The commission members played a prominent role at the ceremony reading off the names of those who died in the service of their country. Deb Kessler, dressed as a woman selling Victory Bonds, read the names of the dead from WWI.
The Gilbert Band provided the music for the ceremony and flowers were laid at the Civil War monument, the WWI monument and the Veterans' Memorial on the town green. An unforgettable ceremony.
2:00 p.m. The Soldiers' Monument on Crown Street was opened for its traditionally large crowd on Memorial Day. Visitor's were impressed with Jack Bourque's knowledge of the monument as he greeted them on the first floor. Steve Sylvester set up the music system to play Civil War music and public historian, Virginia Shultz-Charette discussed Petersburg and Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House using maps and photos on the second floor. A young, elementary school student donated a replica of the Soldiers' Monument that he did for a school project!
All-in-all a very busy, moving, exciting day for the Soldiers' Monument Commission.
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Speech: Memorial Day, 2015
Ladies and gentlemen,
My name is Todd Bryda. I am the history prof of that little college across the green. I have been given the honor of addressing you on this most hallowed of days, and for that I have to thank Jack Bourque and Deb Kessler. Although unworthy of the task, I shall do my best to honor the subject.
Now for a quick history lesson:
Memorial Day was not always a day off from work or simply a day to BBQ. It began as a Civil War day of mourning and a day to honor the 735,000 dead of that horrific war. Back then it was called Decoration Day.
The first acknowledged Decoration Day in the United States was organized in April 1866 by women in Georgia to honor the Southern dead. A month later in May 1866, the first Northern event to honor the Union dead was held in Waterloo, NY. The first federal day of remembrance was proclaimed by Union General Jack Logan in May 1868. Gen. Logan was the commander of the Union veterans’ organization, the Grand Army of the Republic.
After Logan’s proclamation this special day of honor grew more and more significant to the nation; Decoration Day slowly evolved into Memorial Day as the United States went on to fight other and more horrific wars.
Now, I apologize for that history lecture, it is an occupational hazard. But I feel it is crucial to understand how events begin in order to find their significance.
This holiday, this day of remembrance sprung from the pain and suffering of a nation torn apart by Civil War. The families and friends of the fallen wanted to make some sense of the tragedy…the horror. They needed the sacrifice of their friends and brothers to have been for something noble.
Now, I will not debate nor will I discuss the myths and legends that grew from this need to make sense of the slaughter. I will not debate nor will I discuss the causes for the Civil War or any war that followed. Nor will I discuss why individuals chose to take up arms in these conflicts..
Instead, let us simply honor the sacrifice and the courage it took to leave home and sacrifice one’s self on the nation’s altar of freedom.
Congressman and future president James Garfield gave the first Decoration Day address at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868. Garfield had been a Civil War general who saw ghastly combat at places like Antietam. In his speech to the thousands of people gathered, he simply tried to encapsulate the feelings of a nation, he tried to put the deeds of the dead into perspective for his audience- for Garfield- the war was simply about the love of country. In discussing the fallen, he said to the crowd:
“We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”
Patriotism…virtue…love of country
These were not just words to Garfield and the gathered mourners.
They were not just words on the fields of Flanders or on the beaches of Normandy and Iwo Jima.
They were not just words in the air over Germany or at Midway.
To those soldiers who died at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea or in the rice fields of Vietnam, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan- patriotism, virtue, love of country are more than hollow sentiments.
735,000 Americans died in the Civil War.
Over 600,000 American men and women have died in war since the guns became silent in Virginia in 1865.
Let us again honor their sacrifice for this nation.
In Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he tried in his own way to define the sacrifice of the nation’s fallen. In trying to explain the unexplainable, Lincoln succinctly pointed to what he saw as the real purpose of the war:
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
Patriotism, virtue, love of country…and a lasting peace for all.
We honor the fallen by working for and achieving the seemingly unachievable, peace for all people and peace for all nations.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you today.
************************************************************************************
2:00 p.m. The Soldiers' Monument on Crown Street was opened for its traditionally large crowd on Memorial Day. Visitor's were impressed with Jack Bourque's knowledge of the monument as he greeted them on the first floor. Steve Sylvester set up the music system to play Civil War music and public historian, Virginia Shultz-Charette discussed Petersburg and Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House using maps and photos on the second floor. A young, elementary school student donated a replica of the Soldiers' Monument that he did for a school project!
All-in-all a very busy, moving, exciting day for the Soldiers' Monument Commission.
**********************************************************************************
Speech: Memorial Day, 2015
Ladies and gentlemen,
My name is Todd Bryda. I am the history prof of that little college across the green. I have been given the honor of addressing you on this most hallowed of days, and for that I have to thank Jack Bourque and Deb Kessler. Although unworthy of the task, I shall do my best to honor the subject.
Now for a quick history lesson:
Memorial Day was not always a day off from work or simply a day to BBQ. It began as a Civil War day of mourning and a day to honor the 735,000 dead of that horrific war. Back then it was called Decoration Day.
The first acknowledged Decoration Day in the United States was organized in April 1866 by women in Georgia to honor the Southern dead. A month later in May 1866, the first Northern event to honor the Union dead was held in Waterloo, NY. The first federal day of remembrance was proclaimed by Union General Jack Logan in May 1868. Gen. Logan was the commander of the Union veterans’ organization, the Grand Army of the Republic.
After Logan’s proclamation this special day of honor grew more and more significant to the nation; Decoration Day slowly evolved into Memorial Day as the United States went on to fight other and more horrific wars.
Now, I apologize for that history lecture, it is an occupational hazard. But I feel it is crucial to understand how events begin in order to find their significance.
This holiday, this day of remembrance sprung from the pain and suffering of a nation torn apart by Civil War. The families and friends of the fallen wanted to make some sense of the tragedy…the horror. They needed the sacrifice of their friends and brothers to have been for something noble.
Now, I will not debate nor will I discuss the myths and legends that grew from this need to make sense of the slaughter. I will not debate nor will I discuss the causes for the Civil War or any war that followed. Nor will I discuss why individuals chose to take up arms in these conflicts..
Instead, let us simply honor the sacrifice and the courage it took to leave home and sacrifice one’s self on the nation’s altar of freedom.
Congressman and future president James Garfield gave the first Decoration Day address at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868. Garfield had been a Civil War general who saw ghastly combat at places like Antietam. In his speech to the thousands of people gathered, he simply tried to encapsulate the feelings of a nation, he tried to put the deeds of the dead into perspective for his audience- for Garfield- the war was simply about the love of country. In discussing the fallen, he said to the crowd:
“We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”
Patriotism…virtue…love of country
These were not just words to Garfield and the gathered mourners.
They were not just words on the fields of Flanders or on the beaches of Normandy and Iwo Jima.
They were not just words in the air over Germany or at Midway.
To those soldiers who died at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea or in the rice fields of Vietnam, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan- patriotism, virtue, love of country are more than hollow sentiments.
735,000 Americans died in the Civil War.
Over 600,000 American men and women have died in war since the guns became silent in Virginia in 1865.
Let us again honor their sacrifice for this nation.
In Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he tried in his own way to define the sacrifice of the nation’s fallen. In trying to explain the unexplainable, Lincoln succinctly pointed to what he saw as the real purpose of the war:
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
Patriotism, virtue, love of country…and a lasting peace for all.
We honor the fallen by working for and achieving the seemingly unachievable, peace for all people and peace for all nations.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you today.
************************************************************************************
