Springfield honors the fallen

In a true demonstration of community solidarity, hundreds of residents — from infants to the elderly — turned out Monday at Veterans' Memorial Park.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20100601/NEWS02/6010329/1003/NEWS02       # # # # Springfield honors the fallen  •  Members of the Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 15, march Monday in Springfield's Memorial Day Parade.  •  Josh O’Gorman / Rutland Herald  •  By Josh O'Gorman STAFF WRITER - Published: June 1, 2010  •  SPRINGIELD — In a true demonstration of community solidarity, hundreds of residents — from infants to the elderly — turned out Monday at Veterans' Memorial Park.  •  The Memorial Day program preceded a parade that included members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 771, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Springfield Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol and Buddy Poppy Princess Karlee Brown.  •  Following prayers, the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem by the Springfield High School Band, Lydia Balch, past president of the VFW Post 771 Ladies Auxiliary read the names of the 32 post members who died during the past year.  •  Post member and Air Force veteran Dennis Clancy then discussed how, as a child in the Boy Scouts, he marched in the Memorial Day parades in his home town. He espoused the virtues of scouting, going so far as leading past and present Scouts in the Scout oath.  •  "On Memorial Day, we use the flag as a symbol for the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country," Clancy said.  •  Following the placement of wreaths at the memorial and a 21-gun salute, Franklin Poole, chaplain for VFW Post 771, offered a benediction.  •  "When the need was greatest, they stepped forward and did their duty," Poole said. "These honored dead gave the gift they loved the most, their lives. Help us to be worthy of their sacrifice."  •  Following the program, the parade wound its way down River Street to the bridge, where Post members fired a salute to the naval dead and Boy Scouts cast a wreath into the Black River.  •