Print
Share page with AddThis

City to Honor Veterans with Memorial Day Ceremonies, Seeks Volunteers

Memorial Day Organizers are looking for a minimum of 11 volunteer groups – families, groups of friends, local businesses, and community organizations – to help retire flags.
Posted on: May 11, 2022 - 1:12pm
Memorial Day Flags

This Memorial Day, Mayor Paul Brodeur, The Melrose Veterans' Advisory Board, and the Melrose Veterans' Services Office invite the public to join them in honoring, remembering, and respecting the sacrifices made by the brave men and women of the military and their families. The Memorial Day ceremonies will be conducted on May 28 and May 29, 2022.

Observances will begin on Saturday, May 28 with the decoration of graves and retirement ceremony for American flags. This will take place at Wyoming Cemetery, located at 205 Sylvan St., starting at 10:00 am.

“Our traditional grave decorating and flag retiring ceremony is one very meaningful way we can come together as a community to honor and remember the courageous men and women of Melrose who served our country,” said Mayor Paul Brodeur. “With hundreds of flags to retire, I invite community members to participate in this ceremony and help show their support for our veterans.”

Memorial Day Organizers are looking for a minimum of 11 volunteer groups – families, groups of friends, local businesses, and community organizations – to help retire the flags. To volunteer, please contact Lily Wall in Mayor Brodeur’s Office at lwall@cityofmelrose.org or call (781) 979-4140. Please RSVP May 25.

On Sunday, May 29, at 10:00 a.m., Melrose’s Memorial Day Ceremonies will continue with brief ceremonies at several of our veterans’ memorials at the Knoll (Lynn Fells Parkway – across the street from the Melrose Veterans' Memorial Middle School). The City will also add bricks, inscribed with the names of veterans, to the City’s Vietnam Veterans' Reflection Area. Red bricks, which denote those who served in Vietnam, and grey bricks, which indicate all other service to our nation, commemorate United States veterans, living or deceased, will both be added to the Vietnam Veterans' Reflection area.
 
Following the ceremony at the Knoll, Memorial Day observers will proceed to the Vietnam Memorial on Main Street and then continue to the Honor Roll, located at 585 Main Street, where the Mayor will offer brief remarks.

After careful deliberation and consultation, the Melrose Veterans’ Services Advisory Board and its community partners made the difficult decision back in February 2022, when COVID-19 cases were high, not to host a Memorial Day Parade this year. However, it is the City’s great honor to continue the other important traditions of the Melrose Memorial Day ceremonies. The City looks forward to the parade’s return next year as we continue to honor the service and sacrifice of our military men and women. And the City will continue to work every day to support active service members and veterans that serve our community and our country.

In addition to the City’s Memorial Day ceremonies, the Melrose Knights of Columbus council #128 is excited to invite the community to the annual Hometown Heroes event taking place on May 21, from 12 – 4 p.m. at the Melrose Knights of Columbus Hall located at 23 West Foster Street. The event is comprised of free celebration luncheon intended to recognize Melrose’s local veterans and first responders.  

If you have any general questions about the City’s Memorial Day events, please contact the Mayor’s Office at 781-979-4440.