On a day where many plans for the beach or the boat were cancelled due to the weather, rain couldn’t stop over a hundred people from gathering Monday at Swampscott Cemetery to honor fallen soldiers on Memorial Day.
Residents, elected officials, officers and veterans packed tightly into Andrews Chapel at the ceremony for a morning program featuring speeches, songs and moments of silence.
Outside of the chapel, visitors parked their cars throughout the cemetery to see and place flowers upon the graves of loved ones.
Inside, the three speakers of the day shared the sentiment that Memorial Day is not a day of celebration.
“Today is a day of remembrance,” said Swampscott Select Board Chair Katie Phelan. “A day to pause and reflect on the courage, sacrifice and service of the women and men of our Armed Forces who gave their lives in defense of our country and the freedom we hold dear.”
Phelan shared with the audience that she lost a cousin to combat in 2010.
“Their sacrifice is the greatest gift one can give and it’s our responsibility to ensure their memory lives on,” said Phelan.
A troop of Swampscott scouts were also on hand to hold the nation’s colors and lead the pledge of allegiance. In between speakers, the audience sang songs like America the Beautiful.
“Memorial Day is not a celebration, it’s a commemoration,” said 8th District State Rep. Jenny Armini. “It’s also an opportunity to think about how these sacrifices across so many generations shaped who we are as a nation.”
The keynote speaker for the program was Brigadier General Tom Sellars, a U.S. Army veteran and the president of the Military Friends Foundation, which is based in Swampscott.
Sellars thanked the Swampscott community for showing a tremendous amount of support to the Military Friends Foundation.
“Today we don’t gather to celebrate, today we gather to remember,” said Sellars. “Liberty that we enjoy is not a birthright but a debt that we must constantly repay.”
Sellars served overseas in Iraq and also was the Commanding General of the Massachusetts Army National Guard where he was responsible for the training, preparedness and mobilization of Army Forces in Massachusetts.
“I know that for you, every day is Memorial day,” Sellars said to families in the audience who have lost a loved one during combat. “Your loved ones are not forgotten. Their service is not an abstract concept to us. We stand with you, we grieve with you and we promise to carry their legacy forward.”
Sellars also thanked the dozens of veterans who attended the program for the resilience they show on a daily basis.
“May god bless the memory of our fallen, may he watch over those who currently serve and may god forever bless the United States of America,” he said.
