On behalf of all our area veterans and the families of our fallen heroes, I would like to thank the many citizens of our area and our many visitors for honoring those in our military who have paid the ultimate price. As we start our summer season, it is always appropriate to thank and show our respect for those who laid down their lives so we can enjoy the benefits of living in our beautiful community. Thank you to all those who participated in this year’s Memorial Day. A special thanks to our speakers, Gerry Gamage who did double duty speaking at the both the Newagen and Southport memorials. Gerry always provides an insight into the history of our peninsula’s greatest military heroes. Rev. Sara Foulger brought home the sacrifices made by our own area’s fallen. So many repeated family names; families whose family members paid the ultimate price. Father Tom Murphy spoke about never forgetting “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Al Roberts, a veteran himself, reminded us how to honor our flag and the meaning of the various parts of the ceremony we conduct at the memorials. The community band was awesome! And the bugler who played TAPS brought tears to many of us.

Thanks go to our own USCG station color guard. A special thanks to the Marine firing squad who came from Brunswick to ensure our ceremony included the 3 volley respect for our fallen. This year we were very pleased to have the participation from Girl Scout Troop 526 and Cub Scout Pack 271. It is my hope that we have more participation from our youth programs in the future. I would also like to thank the Boothbay Harbor Oceanside Golf Resort for generously providing their trolley! With the trolley, our veterans who are unable to march still were able to participate in the parade.

Next month, we will celebrate our independence, another opportunity to remember the sacrifices of our countrymen, the military, their families who supported them, and the community that contributed to the efforts to free our country. Then, in November, we will have the chance to thank ALL veterans and those currently serving for their commitment to this country. It is important to remember that we are currently at war. As we enjoy our summer’s activities, our American and ally/coalition forces are fighting all around the world to ensure we keep the world safe from terrorism. The U.S. Military is present in over 150 countries, with over 300,000 serving outside the US.

Again, THANK YOU ALL for your support of our military, veterans, and our fallen comrades ... we will never forget.