A public ceremony was held this morning at Memorial Park (on River Street across from the Black Rock restaurant) at 9:30am lasting about a half hour. A short parade to the shopping plaza bridge followed where rifles were fired and a wreath cast into the river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JKqT0-3JV5E
Very nice ceremony! Not sure why they didn't read off the names of vets who passed this year? Also kind of disappointing about the low turn out of people. More people should honor this day appropriately.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely mot the parade I remember. Maybe if Springfield did a little more for ot, more people would turn out.
ReplyDeleteSo what can be done to make this a better Memorial Day event? The VFW had their people, the Boy Scouts, the Cub Scouts, the SHS band. What can you think of to make this better? The PD, the FD, maybe the Parks & Rec baseball teams. Girl Scouts, American Legion? Springfield car collectors to transport Vets, and end with a BBQ at RMS or the VFW?
ReplyDeleteWho was the genius that picked that ridiculous, inaccessible location to erect the Vets Memorial?
ReplyDeleteIt's actually a great location, but it has always needed a parking area so that people can stop and visit. As it is, it's just a drive by curiosity for most folks who don't feel comfortable or inclined to park on the shoulder of a highway and then walk out and inspect the memorial.
DeleteI say we redirect all monies intended for Springfield on the Dole and other dubious "do-gooder" organizations for the next 5 years and designate it for improvements such to the park instead, such as parking and lighting.
Maybe the memorial could be moved back to the place it was in the photograph, i.e., the bank plaza downtown. I don't think that plaza was there when the memorial was moved to its current location. With the ceremony downtown, more people would attend. The wreath could be cast from the Comtu bridge. Hmm, maybe parking or traffic flow would become a problem - I wonder what the reasons were for the move to the current location.
ReplyDelete