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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Although Dover is a small town, many of its citizens have served for our country. On May 30, members of the community gathered in front of Town Hall to pay their respects to the men and women of Dover - and from all around the country - who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Normally, we think of Memorial Day as the Monday of the long weekend, but originally, the day, known as Decoration Day, was observed on May 30. Dover proves to be unique in that they hold their Memorial Day services on the original date.
The exercises began with the posting of the colors by the George B. Preston Post 209 of the American Legion, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation from the Rev. Dr. C. Maxwell Olmstead of the Dover Church.
Jack Savage, George B. Preston Post 209, American Legion Post Commander and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, served as the ceremony’s guest speaker.
In attendance were the Brownies and Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, Dover’s Police and Fire Department, the Dover Sherborn High School band, and, of course, many of the town’s veterans.
The DSHS band, directed by Janice Barry, performed “A Patriotic Salute” for all in attendance, showcasing both their musical talent and respect for veterans.
After a brief introduction from Jay Sullivan, all of the veterans at the ceremony stopped at the podium to state their names, branch, and time of service. The residents, including the younger children, seemed to be impressed by how many veterans resided in the little town, and applauded each person who spoke his or her name into the microphone.
Soon after, the Memorial Day observers formed a parade and marched to the cemetery, where Rev. Peter DiSanto and Rev. Sean Leonard of the Grace Church and St. Dunstan’s Church, respectively, offered their remarks. In the cemetery, the Memorial Day Committee also read the names of those who died serving our country, followed by a gun salute and playing of “Taps.”
The townspeople returned to Town Hall to conclude the ceremony with the raising of the flag and a closing prayer from Rev. John Grimes of the Most Precious Blood Church.
With the DSHS band performing the National Anthem, the community left the ceremony feeling more thankful for veterans and more proud of the United States.
