Holliston Remembers and Honors on Memorial Day 2023

It was a spectacular day to come together to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to maintain our freedoms. The parade and ceremony, planned and executed by Holliston’s Memorial Day Commitee, did our fallen service personnel proud.

Top, Parade Marshall Julie Winston escorted by her Aides: Mackenzie Mailing (L) and Olivia Loonie (R)
Bottom (L-R) Rep James Arena-DeRosa, Select Board members: John Cronin, Tina Hein, and Ben Sparrell
Top: HPD Command Staff and Officers
Bottom: HFD Officers and Firefighters and EMT’s
Top: The Sutherland Pipe Band provided the beat and parade music. Bottom: The band formed a circle to play “Amazing Grace.”
Holliston Veterans – led by American Legion Commander Ron Turcott and VFW Commander Dave DeGanne, showed up to honor their fallen comrades.
A 1933 Pontiac owned by Ted and Debby Valpey proudly transported veterans Al Denman and Bill Withington
Girl Scouts along with scouts from the BSA troops in Holliston marched too.
The recently renovated Blair Square was host to a large crowd who observed the presentation at the Iraq / Afghanistan monument. The parade route included a loop down Front Street and back on Railroad Street to provide more viewing time to those who lined the parade route.
At each monument along the way, a wreath was laid, rifle volleys were fired, and taps was played. Top left – Veterans Checia Gonzalez and Steve Napolitano; Top right – Commanders Turcotte and DeGanne; Bottom right – Veterans Tony Alexander and (who can help with the name of the vet in red?)
The scene at Town Hall as the parade arrived.
Top Left – Rev. Nathan Detering provides the Invocation; Top Right – Kyra Reinstein representing State Senate President Spilka, shared the Senator’s greetings and thank;, Bottom Left – State Rep James Arena-DeRosa noted the need for more / better care for our veterans; Bottom Right – Select Board Vice-chair John Cronin spoke about the true meaning of sacrifice.
Top Right: Memorial Day Committee Member, LTC (Ret) Martin Spellacy introduces the Parade Marshal including her military, civic, and scouting service.
Bottom: Parade Marshal LTC (Ret) Julie Winston (flanked by her Aides) spoke about what we can all do by reaching out to our neighbors and veterans to help them feel connected to life in Holliston and America.
Legion Commander Turcotte reads the names of those Holliston veterans who passe away during the past year. Officer of the Day Bobby Blair, the program emcee, is in the background.
Left: Soloist Claudia McMahon and Trumpeter Cyrus Sobhian before the ceremony and performing the National Anthem, Right
Deacon John Barry delivered the Benediction before the parade reformed to head to its final stop at Police Headquarters.
HPD Chief Matthew Stone, left and LT Chad Thompson raise the flags from half-staff.
The firing detail fired volleys at each stop along the parade route and were captured from various perspectives.
Bugler Joe Cibotti ended each stop with the playing Taps for our fallen veterans.
Photographer Travis Hein captured this fitting image to complete our photo essay.

Holliston photographer Ken Robinson has offered this link to his gallery of shots from the 2023 Memorial Day remembrance -> https://www.kbrphoto.com/holliston-memorial-day-2023

The Publishers

1 Comment

  1. Stephen R Bradford on May 31, 2023 at 7:25 pm

    Thank you HR for your coverage of this Memorial Day and all of our other events in the past.

    Also Thank you to Ken Robinson for the added gallery shots.

    Steve Bradford, Chair
    Holliston Memorial Day Committee

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