Danvers to Honor Memorial Day with Two Special Events

The Town of Danvers is again honoring Memorial Day with two special events – a Rolling Caravan and a Virtual Memorial Day ceremony.

Kelley Rayos-Teixeira, the Town’s Veterans Services Officer, stated, “We were really hoping to have our traditional Memorial Day Parade and Town Hall Ceremony this year but realized early in the planning stages that it was not an option due to the continuing effects of the Covid Pandemic. Meanwhile, we feel the Rolling Caravan and Virtual Ceremony are great alternative ways to honor our fallen veterans. Many segments from our traditional ceremony are included and through the efforts of DCAT, we have put together a good program for this important observance.”

At 9 AM, there will be a Rolling Caravan, followed by the main event, a Virtual Memorial Day Ceremony broadcast on Danvers Community Access Television at 10 AM and later at 6 PM on Comcast Channel 22 and Verizon Channel 41. The program will also be broadcast on DCAT’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

The Memorial Day Rolling Caravan, organized by the Danvers Police Department, will be a military-style procession of Police Cruisers, Fire Apparatus, and other vehicles. Please see their website, www.danversma.gov/departments/police-department/ or www.danverspolice.com for more information and specific route directions. The Grand Marshal of the Rolling Caravan is Mrs. Ruth Lilja, a US Marine Corps veteran, who has been very active for many years in the VFW Auxiliary, Operation Troop Support, and the Marine Corps League. There will be no gathering or ceremony at Town Hall before or after the caravan.

The Virtual Memorial Day Ceremony, organized by the Danvers Veterans Council and the town’s Veterans Services Department, will have Dick Moody, president of the Danvers Veterans Council and founder of Operation Troop Support, as Master of Ceremonies. Guest speaker will be Douglas A. Bryant, U.S. Navy (Ret) and veteran of World War II, Korean War, Vietnam and Cold War. Other participants will include a Color Guard by the Marine Corps JROTC, wreath placement by scouts, music provided by Danvers High School Band, TAPS by Danvers High School Band members, bagpipe music by Capt. Kenneth Reardon, Jr., of the Danvers Fire Department, and a volley salute by the Danvers Alarm List Company.

“Our town will still be placing flags at veteran gravesites and wreaths honoring veterans at locations throughout town, but the Rolling Caravan and Virtual Ceremony present a wonderful opportunity for the community to honor the memory of all those veterans who have paid the ultimate price while serving our country at home and abroad,” said Moody.