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SubTitle: Report from Spring Lake, MI
Posted by: Lee Shake (leeshake@novagate.com) on 5/28/1998@03:04hrs:
Perhaps this posting doesn't belong on the NOSTRIVIA board, but:
After three months of work, 60 letters and 25 phone calls... On Monday the 25th of May, the Memorial Day Parade and Memorial Service was under way. The parade was 25 minutes long. It was comprised of 52 parade units including three bands -- one of which was a bag-pipe band -- a Civil War reenactment unit in uniform and a unit dressed in World War-I uniform. At the Memorial Service in the cemetery after the parade, a singer sang "This Is My Country," the roll call of veterans who had died during the last year was read, "In Flanders Fields" was read by a veteran in WW-I uniform, "General Logan's General Order#11 was read by a veteran in Civil War Uniform, The history of the bugle call, "Taps" was read and "Taps" was played by two excellent trumpeters from the local H.S. band, the Firing Squad were two of the men in WW-I uniform and four U.S. MARINES from the local Marine Corp Reserve Unit. The Memorial Day Address was made by a retired U.S. Navy Lt Commander who saw service with the SeaBees in the Pacific Theater during WW-II. Spring Lake, Michigan is a small village of about 8 thousand souls. This parade is their BIG parade of the year. Even though it threatened rain during the parade, the entire parade route of 1 1/2 miles was lined (solid) with folks, most of whom got to their feet and saluted the American Flags as they marched by, and applauded the marching units with great enthusiasm.
The Memorial Service was attended by over 500 of those same folks who followed the parade units into the cemetery. AMVETS (American Veterans) Post 1994, of which I am a Charter Member and the Adjutant, has sponsored this activity for four years now. I mention this to you all because I'm pleased to report that in small towns all across Middle-America, people really are very patriotic, and things like Memorial (Decoration) Day, Veterans Day, Armed Forces Day, Flag Day bring out the best in the "Average" American Citizen. We counted up all the Boy/Girl/Cub/Brownies/Explorer Scouts in that parade and the total reached 200! Most of them had also marched in an earlier parade that same morning in the neighboring town of Grand Haven, MI!!!
When I was a kid, the Memorial Day Parade went from Eltingville to Great Kills along Amboy Road. As a Scout, I marched in my share of them. Well, Last Monday's parade in Spring Lake reminded me of the parades I marched in as a kid. That's why, when the Village Manager of Spring Lake asked my AMVETS Post if we could produce the Memorial Day events, I told him, "Of course we can!" And for the past four years, I've kept my promise. My Dad used to say, "You thought of it, now YOU do it!" Well, AMVETS Post 1994 never met my Dad, but they sure must think like he does. :-) Actually, it's fun, and now that I have most of everything in my computer, it gets easier every year. If I can talk Art into it, I'll see if I can get him to post a few photo's (temporarily) on his web site of the pictures we took of the parade and Memorial Service. Guess what, I even have a Michigan State Senator who has promised to be the Guest Speaker for 1999! :-0