HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Members of Team Hanscom can attend local town's Memorial Day parades and celebrations scheduled to take place on Monday, May 30.
The first official Memorial Day observance was held May 30, 1868, at Arlington National Cemetery to honor those who died during the Civil War and to decorate their graves. Today, Memorial Day serves as an opportunity to pause and remember the sacrifices of members of the armed forces who gave their lives to secure our freedoms.
The town of Bedford will host a Memorial Day parade and ceremonies at Shawsheen Cemetery, the Old Burying Ground and Veterans Memorial Park. Lt. Col. Richard Baysinger, the 66th Air Base Group deputy commander, will deliver the keynote address at the ceremony in Veterans Memorial Park, 160 Great Road, beginning at 11:15 a.m.
According to organizers, in the event of rain, all outdoor activities will be canceled and the Veterans Memorial Park ceremonies will be held in the Bedford High School Auditorium starting at 11 a.m.
In Lincoln, town officials will host a Veterans March and Memorial Day program held at the Pierce House on Weston Road at 9:45 a.m., followed by a community barbecue at 11 a.m.
For information on the ceremony in Lincoln, contact the town’s Parks & Recreation Department at 781-259-0784.
Lexington will not have the usual parade due to road construction in Lexington Center, but will conduct a Memorial Day Ceremony in Cary Memorial Hall beginning at 11 a.m.
The West Concord Memorial Day ceremony will begin at Percy A. Rideout Field at 9 a.m. and proceed to Kenneth J. Dunn Square. The Concord Independent Battery, Concord Minutemen, Concord Police Honor Guard and Celebrations Committee members will participate, along with town veterans.
Commemorations will continue in Concord Center at 11 a.m., with those same participants proceeding from Keyes Road to Monument Square, where commemorative wreaths will be placed. The Concord Independent Battery will fire several times throughout the morning.
For information on the ceremony in Concord, contact Julissica Navarro-Norton, Concord Patriotic Ceremonies & Celebrations Committee Chair, at 617-275-1155.