 Good morning. If I could please have everyone silence their electronic devices So good morning and welcome to our Memorial Day ceremony. I'm Jeff Chung load director of veteran services for the town of Arlington And I'd like to introduce our official party father mark Bishop Mr. Sandy puller town manager Mr. Eric Helmuth chair of the select board state representative Rogers state representative garbly And our keynote speaker major general retired William rep would you please rise Members of the Arlington police department and Arlington fire department will parade the colors Parade the colors the members of the Boston skyline course will now sing our national anthem Father mark Bishop is a Navy veteran and pastor at St. Camelus parish Arlington Belmont and st. Agnes parish in Arlington You will now deliver our invocation Thank you for asking me to pray within my tradition today, and I invite you to pray within your tradition along with me On this Memorial Day, we gather and humble gratitude for all the sacrifices of the men and women of the armed services And that they have endured to ensure our freedoms Those that have died deserve our gratitude and honor Please hold our servicemen and women in your strong arms dear God Cover them with your sheltering grace and your presence as they stand in the gap for our protection We also remember the families of our troops especially Gold star families we ask for your unique blessing to fill their homes, and we pray for your peace provision hope and Strength to fill their lives May the members of our armed services be supplied with the courage to face each day And may they trust in Lord's mighty power to accomplish each task Let our military brothers and sisters Feel our love and support Lord of all nations may we take time to reflect on the great blessings We share as a nation and as a people our blessings have come at a high cost to others May we remember these sacrifices always with deep gratitude We ask that you grant wisdom to the leaders of the armed forces Guide and direct them in their decisions May they be led by your will and your heart as they pursue our nation's freedom We continue to pray for peace in our world Lord, let your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen Please be seated This year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of US service members who were in prison during the Vietnam War Members of the armed forces were held as prisoners of war in significant numbers from 1964 to 1973 13 prisons and prison camps were used to house US prisoners in North Vietnam as part of Operation Homecoming on February 12th 1973 The first of 591 US prisoners began to be repatriated and additional flights continued until late March On March 26 1964 the first US service member was in prison Captain Floyd Thompson's plane was brought down by enemy enemy fire and he spent nearly nine years in captivity Making him the longest-held POW in American history US prisoners of war in North Vietnam were subjected to extreme torture and malnutrition during their captivity The aim of the torture was typically not to acquire military information But instead it was to break the will of the prisoners both individually and as a group So they could obtain written or recorded statements from prisoners that criticized America and praised how North Vietnamese treated them During the war only 37 service members escaped captivity Following Operation Homecoming a total of 684 POWs returned home Currently there are still 1582 veterans that remain classified as unaccounted for and there remains a hundred 1056 veterans that have been identified and repatriated at this time. I'd like to call on our town manager Sandy pooler to offer his remarks Thank You Jeff. Thank you all for being here Arlington You're going to hear some remarks from me because I was a history major. So I'm going to talk a little bit about history Arlington has a special connection with this Memorial Day as many of you know the town in 1807 joined with Belmont to become anodomy But in 1867 it changed its name to Arlington in honor of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery. I Brought today this sword, which was my great great-grandfathers he served in The Civil War this sword hangs in my uncle's house. My great-grandfather was a surgeon first in the mass voluntary militia and Then in the National Army he had to perform surgery at Antietam and Spent many many years traveling throughout the South on and the Union Army obviously Serving our troops I've always been very proud of this sword and of the service that he gave to our country to help keep this country together People sometimes talk about who won the Civil War I often think it's the United States that won the Civil War because we stayed together as a unified country Memorial Day started Not really by any official act by a number of citizens simply placing flowers on the graves of those who died in the war and eventually by 1867 by a proclamation by US General asking people to remember those who had died They died to keep our country together they died To give us the freedom that we have today and our ability to come together and honor them And so today I join you in the quiet contemplation that we have for those who have passed before us in the taps that we play for them in our public procession to lay a wreath and Marching together to formally honor those who gave their lives for their country So I join with you who are veterans and thank you for your service I joined with you who have family members who are veterans and I joined with all the families in the United States At one point have lost a family member to a war in this country and we all Honor them and hope for peace in the future I just also want to say and not part of my official remarks and Jeff won't like this But I want to thank Jeff too for all the work that he has done for this town for helping bring together This ceremony for honoring the veterans in this town and for bringing a sense of peace and recognition To to many so thank you Jeff You're right Sandy. I didn't like that At this time I'd like to invite our select board chair mr. Eric helmets offer his remarks Good morning. It's my privilege to be here to represent my colleagues on the select board at this important and somber occasion I'd like to recognize Diane Mahon John Hurd Steve DeCorsi and Len Diggins who are here with me this morning, and I'm proud to see you all here I'm also proud to welcome The veterans who proudly serve in the Arlington police and fire departments. It's good to see you here this morning finally I Extend my appreciation to our guest speaker general wrap who is a four-year member of our town and I turned to him this morning And I said welcome home, sir. It's good to have you finally, I must also thank Jeff Chung low for Reminding us how important today is for organizing this beautiful ceremony and for his service to his country and to our town To respect his wishes, I'm not going to read it But I'm going to hand Jeff a proclamation that the select board voted on at our last meeting Jeff we love you. We appreciate what you've done for this community and you leave it a better place Today we gather to honor the memory of the more than 1 million people who have died in service to their country They left the safety of their hometowns The comfort of their family and their friends to defend our freedom and preserve the peace and not only ours But for countless people all over the globe We also recognize and honor their families spouses children parents siblings aunts uncles whose lives were forever changed To our Gold Star family members here today Thank you We owe you and your loved ones who gave their lives in service a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid We reflect today on the qualities of these women and men who gave their lives for our nation Their love of country and the ideals on which it was founded Their loyalty to the brothers and sisters in arms Their courage which is not the absence of fear but the resolve to do one's duty in the face of it Their selflessness willingly putting putting themselves in harm's way for the sake of others Words are not enough to honor their sacrifice words can never be enough So what can we do? We can remember our fallen heroes with respect and gratitude not just today But every day we can live our lives With the awareness that the freedoms and the opportunities that we enjoy today. We owe to them We can listen to the stories of their family and friends and in so doing Understand the people that they were We can support our veterans and ensure that they get the care respect and opportunities they deserve and Finally we can work for a world that is worthy of their sacrifice a world of compassion understanding tolerance Respect for the rule of law and liberty and we can remain vigilant for the forces of tyranny and oppression That threatens so many corners of the world and even here at home May the memory of those we honor today Inspire us to be the best version of ourselves For Arlington for Massachusetts for our country and for the world God bless our veterans God bless this great country I'd like to invite Representative David Rogers to offer his remarks Well, good morning everybody. It's good to be with you on this Memorial Day, and I too want to thank Jeff Schungal over his amazing service to this town and When I thought about what I might say today, I It occurred to me something that happened in our family my mom was in a terrible car accident and Fortunately the paramedics who showed up on the scene realized she couldn't be taken In an ambulance to the hospital. She needed a chopper. She needed a medevac and or else she wouldn't make it and She was medevac for trauma surgery and it was an intensive care for almost two months and There was a surgeon there Dr. John Pryor and he saved her life and Because she was an intensive care so long I got to know him really well. I was there visiting He would make rounds almost every day and it's just a remarkable human being He was board certified in three different areas of medicine He said he would have been board certified in a fourth area but his wife would have divorced him if he went for the certification so and He was literally a legendary Famous surgeon a brilliant guy and for all of his accomplishment Incredibly down to earth just the nicest guy you'd ever meet Well, it turns out not only was he a brilliant surgeon. He was a reservist in the US Army and He was called and deployed to Iraq Where sadly he he lost his life in an explosion an attack in so It's just a reminder of some of the incredible people that we have in our service that do amazing things for our country and Leave behind the legacy and so today, I'll think of him and the many other veterans we've lost and and God bless America and thank you. I'd like to invite Sean Garbley to offer his remarks Good morning. I Will repeat what everybody has honorably said about Jeff Chung low Jeff. We are going to miss you You have been a safety net for our veterans across this community. We can't thank you Enough would also like to thank our veterans counsel for everything They do and working with Jeff to support our men and women veterans across this town And it is an honor for me to be here with our gold star family members Your commitment and sacrifice cannot be Understated and it is an honor for all of us to be in your presence Into our veterans who are here in the hall and across the town of Arlington Everything you have done for this nation is a sacrifice that we will never be able to repay your incredible service and Supporting and honoring our veterans is something we should be doing Every day as we did last veterans day and we can do that in a number of ways Whether it's around employment, whether it's mental health services, whether it's the most basic principle of housing Supporting our veterans is something that we all should be recommitted to doing every single day but today We honor those who gave everything Those who sacrificed their happiness their families future happiness those who did not come home and It is important for each of us to reflect upon that think of Arlington High or any high school across this incredible country a young person not older than probably half the age of many of the people in this room made the decision to go across seas and into enemy territory and Potentially sacrifice Everything their happiness their families happiness their future their families future for an ideal For the principles and values that we hold so dear in this country many of them Did not come home So today as in the solemn day as We pay tribute to the men of women who did not come home It's not a day to feel guilty It's not a day to feel guilty about Hamburgers or what you do during the weekend with your family. That's not what this day is about. It's not to create a guilt trip But this day is not about hamburgers. It's not about hot dogs. It's not about game seven this day is about coming together as a country and Honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice That's what today is All about and that's what we do here as a country as a Commonwealth and as a town to pay tribute To those soldiers who left Arlington High and every high school across this country at far To young of an age and who did not come home Thank you. I was very pleased that general rap Responded to my email about his willingness to participate today as our keynote speaker It's nice to have an official Arlingtonian to offer remarks but William rap is a retired Army major general educator College administrator and proven leader with more than 30 33 years as an active-duty Army officer During his career. He served over five years in Germany one year in Japan and three and a half years in Iraq and Afghanistan He commanded an airborne engineer company in the first Gulf War an engineer bergate brigade in Iraq from 2005 to 2006 and was deputy commander of support for us forces in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012 He served as the Army senior liaison to the US Congress Commandant of the United States Military Academy and most recently served as a commandant of the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania His research interests include civil and military relations and organizational leadership His military career included the following commands commander of Northwestern Division of the Army Corps of Engineers from 2008 to 2009 Commandant of cadets US Military Academy West Point 2009 to 2011 Commanding general national support element us forces Afghanistan 2011 to 2012 Chief of legislative liaison liaison US Army 2012 to 2014 Commodant US Army War College and commanding general Carlisle barracks in 2014 to 2017 He conducts frequent lectures on military affairs and at the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard University He did a brief stint there for his service a distinguished graduate of West Point in 1984 he also holds a master's degree in Strategic studies from the US Army War College and a master's and PhD in political science from Stanford University It's my pleasure to introduce major general William Rapp Hey, good morning to you all To the veterans who are out there Especially those veterans that served in war zones in our nation's history This day is is special for you. It's not Veterans Day, which comes in November But it is when you especially remember the colleagues who are with you that did not come home It's a day to to remember them Today's the unofficial first day of summer It's a long weekend for most of us and we pull out the grill and we gather friends and family for the warmth of and fun of summertime But a minced amidst all of that sunshine and fun It's fitting for us to take the time today room to remember why they call this Memorial Day This federal holiday was set aside to honor those that gave their lives so that we could live free and celebrate this weekend and so many others with friends and family in late May of 1866 after only after about a year of the since the guns had gone silent at Appomattox General John Logan organized what was then called Decorations Day To place flowers on the graves of the Civil War dead Logan wanted to be sure that the sacrifice of so many was not quickly forgotten After World War One the country changed its name to Memorial Day to recognize the ultimate sacrifice of military men and women from all wars At national cemeteries across this country Small American flags have been placed at the headstones of these brave and trepid souls who stepped forward Served with honor and did not come home My family and I live for a few years at right outside of Arlington National Cemetery And it's a ritual for the old guard soldiers of third u.s. Infantry to place a small American flag at every single headstone there 400,000 honored dead are buried in that one piece of hollowed ground I Recommend someday soon if you haven't done it already to walk over to the intersection of Mass Ave and Broadway and spend some time At the memorial wall there you'll find the names of those in the military and all of our nation's wars up to the late 90s Those marked with a small asterix Gave their lives for this country and Arlington has a long and proud history of Fighting to defend all that is right in this great land Jason Russell Jason Winship Jebez Wyman's names. They're all there from their deaths on the 19th of April 1775 not far from where we are sitting today The American Civil War saw 42 killed from Arlington then called monotony World War One had 24 killed The town had then been renamed to Arlington World War two took a toll on this community 156 were killed in the four terrible years in which the United States and others fought Imperial Japan Nazi Germany and fascist Italy 14 more were killed in Korea and nine were killed in Vietnam There's a single asterix next to a name in the wars after Vietnam to the year 1997 John Patrick Conner a Navy SEAL officer who died heroically on the small airfield of Patia in Western Panama on 20 December 1989 Joan Conner is here with us today. Thank you. We honor your son at the core of our military lie unique themes The selfless desire to serve a strong desire to do what's right and just And the willingness if called upon in the heat of battle to sacrifice oneself for our teammates to defend this nation Those brave men and women were supported now and now grieved by their families and loved ones Those who left behind or those left behind the fallen bear the most difficult of burdens and we honor them as well With their lives these brave soldiers sailors airmen and Marines have bought for us The right to use this day. However, we choose They would not begrudge Your barbecue they might get a bit upset if you overcooked the stakes They would not be offended Unless you failed to take some bit of time today to remember them to keep them in mind these true American heroes fought as they did so that you could live your lives with a sense of peace and Security that allows you to fully enjoy days like this So take that moment to reflect upon their service and sacrifice Lawrence Binion was a British poet who volunteered at age 46 to serve in a field hospital near the killing fields of Verdun in 1915 and He wrote a poem a couple of lines of which about the young men that he watched Marching forward to the front knowing in his heart that many that he saw would not have the chance to grow old He wrote they went with songs to the battle. They were young Straight of limb true of I steady in a glow They were staunch to the end Against odds and countered and they fell with their faces to the foe They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old Aides shall not worry them Nor the years condemn at the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them We must not break faith with those who have died on our behalf We must strive to honor their sacrifice in many small ways every day We must remember them President Harry Truman soon after he took over the presidency in the spring of 1945 The war was still going on with both Germany and Japan and he said the following Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid They have earned our undying gratitude America will never forget their sacrifices because of these sacrifices the dawn of justice and freedom Throughout the world slowly casts its gleam across the horizon The respect and admiration that we give our fallen hopefully not only on this day But in silent or vocal tribute year-round pays tribute to their memory Their stories must not be forgotten by sharing these stories We keep their memories alive and we inspire ourselves to create a better world a stronger nation kinder communities It's up to us to use the gifts that they secured With their ultimate sacrifice to do as much good as possible and to honor that debt that can never be repaid Joan if you allow me to talk just briefly about your son Patrick Connor grew up in Sitchwood in Arlington in a attended WPI in Worcester Upon graduation he joined the United States Navy and volunteered for SEAL training Earning his Trident badge signifying qualification as a US Navy SEAL Lieutenant Connor was privileged to become a leader in golf platoon of SEAL team for which was based out of Virginia Beach and focused on Central and South America on the evening of 20 December 1989 48 members of SEAL team 4 would Were tasked to seize the airfield at Padilla and destroy manual Noriega's Private aircraft so that he could not escape Panamanian forces were an unexpectedly heavy strength at the airfield and John Connor was killed while purposefully drawing fire So that it could take pressure off of the members of his team only age 25 Connor earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his Valor that evening He's buried here at Mount Pleasant Cemetery and his name is found on our town's Memorial Wall For me on this day, I remember colleagues that I served with who died in combat as you heard I commanded Bravo Company 27th Airborne engineers and we were working to clear mines on the north side of the runway at Assam and airfield in southern Iraq on February 26 1991 Captain Mario Fajardo who commanded Alpha Company 27th engineers and five of his men First Lieutenant Terry Plunk Sir in first-class Russell Smith Staff Sergeant Michael Harris Sergeant Brian Scott and Corporal Luis Delgado were killed that day clearing mines on the south side of the runway We came from different backgrounds Mario was a Citadel graduate, and I'm a West Pointer But in Iraq we were brothers and I think about him often On Memorial Day, we should reflect upon the experiences of our fallen loved ones And those like John Connor whom we may not have known personally But tomorrow and in the days that follow we must act and ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain We honor them by being the very best versions of ourselves every single day We honor them by being good neighbors To each other and good citizens to this country We honor them as William Wordsworth wrote for our little Nameless unremembered acts of kindness and of love We honor them by fully appreciating that it is a privilege to live in this great country of ours and Finally, we honor them by remembering that the freedom we enjoy is not free. I Join this whole crowd in Recognizing the wonderful support that Jeff has given to the veterans of this community for so many years And I thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this morning Thank you very much People often thank me for my service and I am absolutely Humbled by that, but I will tell you I think I got more than I gave The ability to serve and wear the colors of this nation is something that is a treasure. Thank you for so Massachusetts a couple of years ago created the Medal of Fidelity and It's been established To be presented to the next of kin of a service member or veteran who died as a result of a service-connected disability or illness. I Would like to ask Marilyn Dolan Goldstein to stand Her husband captain Alan Goldstein was a Vietnam veteran who passed away on February 24th as a result of exposure to Agent Orange at this time General Rapp and I will present the award to Mrs. Dolan at this time the skyline course Will perform let freedom ring so the following presentation is a time-honored tradition in the Navy And yes, I have to go Navy When a sailor retires a fold of flag is ceremoniously passed from sailor to sailor and it reflects the different ranks that they have achieved throughout their career The retiree then presents a flag to a spouse or significant other in honor of their support and sacrifices that they provided during their military career and This ceremony is often referred to as old glory. I Would like the members of the Arlington Veterans Council to come forward So I'd like to thank Amory Russo Bill Hainer and Steve Sautel For their support for me While serving as your director of veteran services, but they have done an awesome job and I can't thank them enough I am the flag of the United States of America My name is old glory I fly atop the World's tallest buildings. I stand watch in America's halls of justice. I fly majestically over great Institution of learning. I stand guard with the greatest military power in the world Look up and see me I stand for peace honor truth and justice. I stand for freedom. I Am confident. I am arrogant and I am proud When I am flown with my fellow banners my head is a little higher my colors a little truer and I bow to no one I Am recognized all over the world. I am worshiped. I am saluted. I am respected. I Am revered. I am loved and I am feared. I Have fought in every battle of every war for more than 200 years Gettysburg Shiloh Appomattox San Juan Hill the trenches of France the Argonne Forest Anzio Rome the beaches of Normandy Guam Okinawa Tarawa Korea Vietnam The Persian Gulf and scores of places long forgotten by all except those who were there with me. I Was there. I led my sailors marine airmen and soldiers. I Followed them. I watched over them and they loved me. I was on a small hill on Iwo Jima I was dirty battle-worn and tired But my sailors and Marines cheered me and I was proud I Was at ground zero in New York City on September 11th as cowardly fanatics attacked America. I Was raised from the ashes of once proud buildings by brave firefighters heroes who risk their lives to save others Showing the world that America although bloodied will never be beaten Those who would destroy me cannot win For I am the symbol of freedom of one nation under God Indivisible with liberty and justice for all I Have been soiled burned torn and trampled on the streets of my own country and When it is done by those who I have served with in battle it hurts But I shall overcome for I am strong I have slipped the surly bonds of earth and from my vantage point on the moon I stand watch over the uncharted new frontiers of space. I Have been a silent witness to all of America's finest hours But my finest hour comes when I am torn in strips to be used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the battlefield When I fly at half-mast to honor my soldiers and When I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving mother at the gravesite of her fallen son or daughter, I am proud My name is all glory Long may I wave dear God? Long may I wave? I'm tired of the colors I'd like to once again invite the Boston skyline chorus to perform Hallelujah So I'd like to thank the skyline chorus for your support of our ceremonies over the years So thank you very much. I appreciate everything you do. You do a great job. Thank you Memorial Day honors the service and devotion of our fallen heroes and Serves as a solemn reminder of the extraordinary courage and selflessness. They displayed in the face of danger It's also an important opportunity for us to reflect on the importance of military service For the preservation of our freedom and the safety and security of our nation This Memorial Day It is our responsibility to offer prayers and thanks for these brave men and Individuals and their sacrifices. Let us not forget the remarkable level of selfless service That these men and women provided especially those who paid the ultimate price We can do our part by honoring their memory through acts of reverence respect and remembrance This time I'd like you to please stand and join me in a moment of silence I'd like to invite Father Bishop to offer our benediction in the quiet sanctuaries of our own hearts Let let each of us name and call on the one whose power over us is great and gentle firm and forgiving Holy and healing You create us who sustain us who call us to live in peace hear our prayers this day Hear our prayer for all who have died whose hearts and hopes are known to you alone Hear our prayer for those who put the welfare of others ahead of their own and give us hearts as generous as theirs Hear our prayer for those who gave their lives in the service of others and accept the gift of Their sacrifice Help us to shape and make a world where we will lay down the arms of war and turn our swords into plowshares for a harvest of justice and peace Cover those who grieve the loss of their loved ones and let your healing be the hope in our hearts Hear our prayer this day and in your mercy answer us in the name of all that is holy and good. We pray Amen And shipmate fair winds and following seas Please be seated So this concludes our indoor portion of the ceremony I'd like to thank all of our speakers for their comments today and reflections. Thank you very much So for those of you who would like to go with us to Mount Pleasant Cemetery for our wreath laying ceremonies We'll gather in front of the town hall in a few minutes and proceed to the cemetery For those that would like to go but have issues with mobility. We will have a van outside to take people down so that will be in the front as well and again, I'd like to Acknowledge the police and fire department honor guards and their service to the community. Thank you very much And I'd like to thank everyone that I had the opportunity to work with in this community Arlington is a great community You're all very lucky residents, but a great group of people. I can't say enough about them and We'll just leave it at that. So thank you very much, and we'll see you out front in a few minutes A total of 2.2 million Union soldiers conducted military operations from 1861 to 1865 Over 204,000 soldiers lost their lives during these battles with over 476,000 suffering battle injuries and Additionally, there were over 413,000 non-combat deaths During the Spanish-American War conducted between 1898 and 1901 over 306,000 men and women served our country of this number 362 lost their lives While over 1600 received combat-related injuries, and there were over 2,600 non-combat deaths. This time, Major General Wraps will The monotony Minutemen will render honors. 414.7 million service members served between 1917 and 1918 over 53,500 lost their lives and over 402,000 suffered combat injuries, and there were over 63,000 non-combat deaths During World War II 16.1 million service members served from 1941 to 1945 Over 293,000 lost their lives over 670,000 sustained combat injuries, and there were over 115,000 non-combat deaths During the Korean War, 5.7 million service members served from 1950 to 1953 Over 33,700 lost their lives Over 103,000 received combat injuries, and there were over 10,000 non-combat deaths At this time, Steve Sautel and I will lay a wreath for our World War I veteran The monotony Minutemen will render honors 47,000 for over 150,000 sustained combat injuries and 700 non-hostile deaths Bill Hainer, the Vietnam veteran, will lay a wreath and will render honors Forest and Coast Guard and related reserve and National Guard units have been deployed since 9-Eleven 2001 Over 7,000 military personnel have been killed Over 50,600 military personnel have been wounded Major General Rapp will lay a wreath The field day is a day of remembrance for those who've made the ultimate sacrifice It's a day to honor and respect those who have given their lives in defense of our freedoms and to remember their selfless service commitment to others And to remember the personal sacrifices on behalf of their families It's also an important opportunity for us to reflect on the values of courage service and sacrifice that our fallen heroes embody Remember our Gold Star families who have lost loved ones to illness injury and combat They stood strong through uncertainty and those resilient dedication and commitment to their loved ones Continue to shine and serve as support for others during their darkest hours Remember the men and women currently conducting military operations around the globe and the Blue Star families awaiting their safe return I ask that you remember and honor the missing as well In closing, I'd like to thank Major General Rapp for his participation in our ceremony today I'd like to acknowledge all the veterans present here today our elected officials the Arlington Police Department, the Arlington Fire Department and The Department of Public Works and the crew here at Mount Pleasant Cemetery But most of all, thanks you very much for your support while I've been here And I look forward to many more of these type of services in the future so thank you very much enjoy your day and Keep it in the true spirit of the meaning of the day. Thank you