On May 26, 2024, a Memorial Day Ceremony was held at the Polish War Veterans' Monument in Fall River, Massachusetts. The ceremony began with opening remarks providing historical context for Memorial Day, established as Decoration Day in 1868 by Major General John A. Logan and becoming a federal holiday in 1971. The event also paused to remember Richard Urban, who organized and led the ceremony for many years. Father Rob led both the opening and closing prayers, and Lori Dionisio performed the National Anthem and "God Bless America." A wreath was placed at the monument, and youth from Blessed Trinity Parish, including Hannah and Connor Levenson, Maya and Gabby Barker, and Ad, Dylan, Emmy, and Charlie Dionisio/Olera, recited poems. Mayor Paul Coogan, State Representative Alan Silvia, and Councilors Linda Pereira and Andrew Raposa delivered remarks, emphasizing the importance of remembering veterans, Gold Star families, and specifically Polish Americans who served and lived in the local area. State Representative Silvia recalled Woody Hershel Williams's quote about the tragedy of forgetting those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The ceremony concluded with a Wake Doves ceremony, a final prayer, and an invitation to Holy Mass and a breakfast in the Parish Hall in memory of Richard Urban.
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Council
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thank you everyone for coming like to start this off with a little bit of History 3 years after the Civil War ended on May 5th 1868 the head of an organized Union of veterans the Grand Army of the Republic established decoration day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war Dead with flowers Major General John A Logan declared should be May 30th in 1971 Memorial Day
0:34became a Federal holiday where we are all called to honor and remember those men and women who died while serving in the United States military it is good that we are here this morning to honor those who gave their lives for our freedom we also paused this morning to remember Richard Urban who organized and led the ceremony for many years may he rest in peace now I'd like to call Father Rob for the opening prayer
1:05let us pray Lord God whose care and guidance brought our ancestors to this great land and led them through faith courage and self-sacrifice to build the foundations of a great Democratic Nation dedicated to Liberty and human rights may we be faithful stewards of the Heritage entrusted to us reverently on this Memorial Day we pay our tribute of respect to the memory of those who gave
1:35their lives in service of our country we pray that the souls of these our heroic dead may have found perfect rest and receive the Crown of unfading Life we humbly acknowledge our debt to them and ask for the strength to go on toward the ideals for which they fought and died as they gave themselves to advance the ideal of world peace and Justice may they Inspire our continued efforts
2:05towards this same end unite the people of our nation and to defend the freedom justice and equality of all and to fight for the peace for which they fought this we ask in your holy name amen amen
2:31now if we can say the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge alleg to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible andice now we can have la dionio come up for the national anthem oh say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we H at the Twilight last gleaming who Brad stripes and bright stars through the peral
3:31fight where the ramp parts we watched were so gently streaming and the rocket red glare the bombs bursting in air give proof through the night that our flag was still there who see does that star spangled wave or the land of the free and the home of the
4:28brave thank you Lord no major if I can have you come up and place the wreath at the monument
5:01thank you now we'll have some poems from the Blessed Trinity Parish youth first A Time To Remember by Hannah and Connor levenson Memorial Day is a time to remember to honor and show our respect for all men and women who gave who gave up their lives for the country they fought to protect although we cannot picture all their faces nor recognize each person's name those when called our community our country They
5:49Came Forever remembered by Maya and Gabby Barker and in all SS We Gather nearby to honor Heroes we hold dear their courage and sacrifice we recall on this Memorial Day We Stand Tall they fought for freedom gave their all answer duties unwavering PA their memory we cherish heartful Grace with gratitude love and Sol for the Fallen our gratitude will never F on this day their sacrifice forever display
6:25in their honor we solemnly pray remembering them on Lord now Memorial Day ad and Dylan dionio and Emy and Charlie olera Memorial Day Memorial Day one of the most special days in May Memorial Day Keeps Us remembering that service woman that unfortunately passed away in order to allow all bear the ongoing right to be free these brave men and women F hard for our country whether it be Navy Air Force
7:08Army Coast Guard or Marines they fall on Enemy Lines in tanks are carriers inject in submarines so when Memorial Day is here be as thankful as you can be Memorial Day keeps us remember the many brave souls that gave us Liberty
7:29thank you now I'd like to invite our mayor Mr Paul Coogan up to the stand um obviously this is another solemn celebration to remember the history of the people that sacrificed so much for this country we talked about it last night the gold star families were especially uh injured and harmed by this kind of uh Devastation that goes in in on in any War uh this morning we recognize the Polish Americans that
8:07fought with us and later on we'll be at uh Griffin Park but I appreciate everybody coming out please keep these these veterans and their families in your thoughts and prayers it's extremely important on this one weekend in May every year thank you for coming out now I'd like to invite our state representative Alan syvia good morning everyone it's so nice to see so many people here and
8:40especially young people because uh this is really a a teaching experience in some ways a learning experience because for so many years um if you live in Fall River 98% of the population would drive by this place and not know what this this Memorial was for no idea no idea so it's wonderful that we do that you know uh in 2016 Woody hersel uh Williams Congressional Medal of Honor winner came
9:17to Fall River 2016 to B Centennial Park for the dedication of the gold star monument and he said worse than giving the ultimate sacrifice is forgetting those who did and in Far River we make sure we don't forget our our veterans it's so important because uh the names that are on here and there are others polish Americans who died for our country what's unique is is they all lived within a half a mile basically of
9:52where we're standing right now you know as you know um all cultures when they came here they moved to a certain area because of course they knew the language they uh they could work together with families and so many of them walked right on these hollowed grounds so it's wonderful that we're here to remember them and uh we should uh never ever forget have a great weekend thank you next I'd like to call
10:24up Linda Pera and Andrew Raposa well welcome and I'm so happy to see so many people here especially the children and I think they are learning a lesson here and their poems were phenomenal and I think they deserve a round of applause you did really good you did awesome and it's good for them to remember especially God bless you sir that you still fit into your uniform I want to know your secet
11:00it is wonderful to be here to see so many of you to see our youth and to honor our veterans and remember many of our veterans unfortunately are prisoners of war or they were missing an action so we also remember them on this day again thank you so much and I introduce you to my colleague Andrew raposo thank you Council B good morning everyone and thank you for allowing me
11:28to be here today to honor our veterans a wonderful day here to remember all those who served our country so on behalf of myself and Council per and the rest of the council may God bless all of you and have a wonderful Memorial Day thank you I can call up Lorry dionio for singing of God Bless America please join me in singing God Bless America land that I love stand beside her and guide her
12:14through the night with the light from above from the mountains to the Prairies to the oceans White with fo God bless America my home sweet home God bless America my home sweet home
13:02I'd like to thank everybody for taking time out of their day to be here and remember with us I'd also like to thank the Vietnam veter veterans association of Fall River flag officer Fus mayor Paul Coogan State Rep Sylvia councelor Linda Pereira dobs that will be released shortly by Paula the youth group from Blessed Trinity Dave Lavoy from city council for the setup Lori for her beautiful singing and
13:33I'd like to invite everyone into the church for Holy Mass at 8:30 and a special breakfast afterwards in the Parish Hall in memory of Richard Urban that will be served at 9:30 now if I can have father Rob come up for the closing prayer let us pray on this Memorial Day we remember honor and pray for all the those who gave their lives and service of our country for through their sacrifice they
14:04have taught us the true meaning of patriotism and that Devotion to Country which rises above Creed color and class on this day we bring to mind the love and self-sacrifice that was in the hearts of those who now rest in peace and who gave their lives that we might live in a free and Unchained Nation we give thanks for the lessons of this day and rededicate ourselves to the freedom justice
14:34equality and peace for which they fought and died to all the heroic dead we honor this day Grant the light of your presence and may the good done in them be continued by us this we ask in your holy name amen the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit amen
15:02we're now going to perform the Wake those ceremony just mention honor all those men and women that lost their life in battle and those brothers and sisters of ours to continue to serve know represent love andace sir call the duty once
15:52again two other people to release the Dust
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16:21toly heav with you ask you to please send your own m
16:33the do in pi Circle
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17:46that will conclude today's service I would like to thank everybody again for coming out and our B Riv police officers for keeping us safe in the middle of this busy busy street and now I'd like to again invite everyone to uh Holy Mass right across the street thank you good you did an amazing job am