The Fall River Oak Grove Cemetery hosted a Flag Raising Ceremony on Friday, May 27, 2022, marking the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend. The event honored veterans and fallen service members, featuring a series of solemn observances and speeches. Dignitaries present included Mayor Coogan, State Representatives Carol Fiola and Alan Silvia, and members of Gold Star families and various veterans groups. Mikayla Bruno, the Veteran Service Officer, served as master of ceremonies alongside the initial speaker. Key parts of the ceremony included the presentation and retiring of colors by the Junior ROTC and Fall River Police Honor Guards, the Pledge of Allegiance, and performances of the National Anthem and "God Bless America" by Rachel Raposa. Father Robbs delivered both the invocation and benediction. Mayor Coogan urged public participation in Memorial Day events, while Soleil, a Project 351 student, read Governor Charles D. Baker's citation proclaiming May 30, 2022, as Memorial Day. Councilor Pamela Liberty LeBeau read a City Council proclamation requesting the director of cemeteries to fly a flag, which had previously flown over the United States Capitol on May 6, 2022, at Oak Grove Cemetery. The ceremony also included an explanation of the flag's half-staff protocol and a moment of silence for fallen veterans, preceded by a description of the military roll call tradition. Gold Star Mother Joanne Mello and Air Force veteran Joe Marshall laid wreaths, followed by military honors, including the playing of Taps. The event concluded with the retiring of the colors and thanks to all participants for honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Watch the video to verify.
Council
Education
Public / Other
thank you all for coming out this morning on the friday uh the beginning of our memorial day weekend i want to introduce some uh guests that we have there here this morning mayor coogan stay right here state representative carol fiola state representative alan silvia we have the chair of the vietnam veterans wall committee joe marshall we have members of our gold star families we have members of several veterans
0:39groups our flag officer victor ferris who helps us every year and we have the junior rotc and farmer police honor guards with us this morning i just wanted to take a minute to give everyone a just a little history of how this event came to be and happens every year and is the first event of of a long weekend i believe this weekend we have 11 events honoring our veterans years ago former councilor ray mitchell
1:12had started this event and on his last term as a counselor he asked if i would continue it and after he was no longer elected and i said i would be happy to do so and have done so every year with the exception of the past two years where we couldn't because of covert so i'm i'm glad that our this event is back i'm glad that all of our memorial day
1:36events are back and i'm very proud of all of that the city of fall river does to honor our veterans all weekend and all year at this time i would like to introduce our veteran service officer and she is the master of ceremonies with me mikayla bruno good morning color guards present colors
2:08all join in saying the pledge of allegiance i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all and now we'll have rachel raposa sing the national anthem
2:37by the dawn's early light what so proudly we have at the twilight's last gleaming who's brought stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight all the reports we watched were so gallant please dreaming and the rockets red great the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh say does that star spangled
3:53order arms we'll have father robbs do our invocation let 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 weekend we pay our tribute of respect
4:34to the memory of those who gave their 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 an unfading life we humbly acknowledge our debt to them and asked 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
5:03may they inspire our continued efforts towards this same end unite the people of our nation to defend freedom justice and equality and to work for peace for which they lived and died we ask this in your holy name amen and now i'd like to call mayor coogan to the podium um thank you and thank all of our veterans for their service obviously this is the start of a very special weekend in the city of fall
5:38river with a number of events right through monday but i'm asking the people that are watching this on tv or hearing us at home get out say a prayer honor the people that fought and died for our country it's memorial day weekend we'd love to see more participation at some of our events and we'd like to see people out there it's granted it's tough weather this morning but it this is these are the
6:00people that made this country what it is and we'll never forget them and memorial day is the perfect opportunity to acknowledge their service thank you and now i would like to have fall rivers project 351 student come up and read the governor's citation sanjay
6:30hello everyone it's a pleasure to be here my name is soleil and i'm a project 351 ambassador as well as a senior at bmc durfee high school and incoming freshman at harvard university and i have a proclamation whereas while the nation was still recovering from the horrors of the civil war people in cities and towns across the country gathered to honor those union and confederate soldiers who had given their lives
6:58celebrating the first decoration day and whereas after world war one the nation came together again to honor those who had fallen in the service of their country renamed memorial day the last monday in may is when people remember in honor the memory of all the men and women who fought and died in all american wars and conflicts and whereas throughout our country's history thousands of massachusetts
7:25citizens have fought in wards in conflict to defend our safety and way of life and whereas their legacy of patriotism and dedication to country is an inspiration to all americans and whereas it is appropriate that all massachusetts citizens remember the bravery of those who gave their lives so that their sacrifices serve as a reminder of the cost of our freedom now therefore i charles d baker governor
7:52of the commonwealth of massachusetts do hereby proclaim may 30th 2022 to be memorial day and urge all the citizens of the commonwealth to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance given at the executive chamber in boston this first day of may in the year 2022 and of the independence of the united states of america the 245th by his excellency charles d baker
8:25governor of the commonwealth karen e pulido lieutenant governor of the commonwealth and william francis galvin secretary of the commonwealth
8:40and now i'll have counselor pamela liberty lebeau read city council's proclamation thank you whereas many residents of the city of fall river have served in the military and made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our country and whereas memorial day will be observed on may 30th 2022 and whereas a flag has been procured that was flown over the united states capital now therefore it be resolved
9:09that the director of cemeteries be requested to fly this flag at oak grove cemetery in honor of those men and women
9:25the united states flag the flag of the united states of america this is certified that the accompanying flag was flown over the united states capital on may 6 2022 at the request of the honorable jake arkham class member of convert congress this flag was flown in honor of our men and women who made the ultra ultimate sacrifice for our country flags officer retrieve the colors
10:05so
10:21so
11:12my
11:20oh
11:59um
13:08um
13:20now it's
13:58this is order arms
14:23ladies and gentlemen the reason the flag is at half staff today is because it honors and warns those who've lost their lives in honor of our country on memorial day it is flown at half staff and at noon it is raised to full staff and again this is to honor our veterans who have gone on before us a roll call is a way of determining account of people it is the calling of names to determine
14:51those present or absent in a commonly used in many different situations and by many organizations the roll call is a common in a classroom a military organization political organizations and prison however for those of you lucky enough to never have to hear the final roll call at a memorial service of a fallen soul service member it usually works like this the unit's top non-commissioned officer
15:19calls the name of each service member in the lost members unit leaving the name of the lost the last the service member responds as their names are called when the name of the fallen is called three times with the last being the individual's full name and rank of course there is no answer it is difficult to explain the powerful emotions felt when the lost service member fails to respond to their name being called
15:48this roll call is a bit different this roll call is a collective list for our veterans who have lost many who we've lost many years until today please join me in a moment of silence as we remember and honor these fallen
16:09and now rachel proposal will come back to this podium
16:28stand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above from the mountains to the prairies to the oceans wipe with firm god bless america my home sweet home god bless america my home sweet home very nice father rob will you come forward and do the benediction let us pray lord god bless those who have served in the armed forces of our nation and receive the souls of those heroic
17:37men and women who gave their lives in service of our country and for liberty and human rights throughout the world on this memorial day we remember and honor all those who gave their lives in service of our country through their sacrifice they have 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
18:06which 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 equality and peace for which they fought and died we ask this in your holy name amen at this time i have gold star mother joanne mello and our air force veteran
18:36joe marshall come up and lay the wreaths
19:12please prepare for military honors
19:32jobs
19:55ah
20:07uh
20:22rotc police and fire retire the colors
21:00water
21:09thank you one and all for coming out today's ceremony of raising our new flag over this over the oak grove cemetery thank you very much thank you thank you thank you musicians for being here yeah i sort of kind of did on the back thank you