A Gold Star Memorial Ceremony was held on May 27, 2024, in Fall River, Massachusetts, to honor fallen heroes and support their families. The ceremony began with an opening prayer led by Father Jay Maddock, followed by the presentation of colors, the singing of the National Anthem by Rebecca Frank, and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Colleen Barrett. Mayor Paul Coogan delivered remarks, acknowledging Council Vice President Linda Pera and recalling Robert Barrett, one of the honored soldiers, as a former student whose NJROTC program area at Durfee High School was named after him. Council Vice President Linda Pera also spoke, reflecting on the young ages of the fallen heroes—Michael (19), Robert Barrett (20), and Scott Andrews (21)—and thanked their mothers, Colleen and Joanne, for raising them.
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uh good morning all for being here it's kind of a gloomy day I wish the sun were out and we were a little warmer but I guess God knows that we're here because we're very sad to have lost three of the heroes from my area I'd like to open the ceremony um by having father Jay Maddock give us the opening lead us with the opening prayer could you post colors or present colors
0:40good morning everyone it's an honor for me to be here with all of you as we use the occasion of this Memorial Day to Remember those who have given the ultimate price with their lives in service to their country and so today we call upon almighty God to be with us as we praise and thank him for all of his gifts and blessings we thank him particularly for the gifts of those four
1:08lives that we honor today Michael Robert Scott and Eric as we commend them to you once again Lord in your love and mercy welcome them into the Peace of the Kingdom a peace for which they fought and gave their lives here on Earth may they now enjoy for all eternity the love that you desire us to have for one another the love of country that they show by paying the ultimate price and
1:39today as We Gather family and friends members of this community we commend them to you once again and ask that each one of them be welcomed with great joy into your kingdom we pray for the families who have lost their son in service to their country we know that time doesn't heal all things that indeed the sorrow continues to go with us each and every year and yet we with your help Lord we are able
2:18to put the whole gift of of of Peace before us and work for it in the different areas of Our Lives where we seek to follow your way your truth and your life so commending Michael and Robert and Scott and Eric to your love and mercy please have them always in your hearts always in your kingdom always in the minds and hearts of all of us who have known them
2:49and Lov them please on this Memorial Day watch over guide and protect all those who currently serve and those who have served over the years who are joining us here today you bless them and you bless us by their presence as we celebrate today and as we commend our brothers once again to you give us hope that the way we live our lives will be an example to one another that we will live in
3:18peace and not in war we ask all of this in your name amen amen
3:32we will now sing the national anthem and who will be leading us is Rebecca Frank please bear with me I am not a professional singer so I ask that you all join me in singing our national anthem you see by the dawn early and bright through the the we theam and The Rock Pro through the night that our flag was still there that starled for the land of the free and the home of
5:13the job by Rebeca um the Pledge of Allegiance will be led to us by Colleen Barett
5:47thank you you may all be
5:57seated like introduce you D to the mayor of the city of B River Paul Coogan thank you uh Council VI vice president Linda Pera um these gold star families are particularly near and dear to me because I think I knew most of these kids matter of fact Robert Barrett was one of my students at dery high school we ended up naming our uh njrc program area after him um but these
6:26families have given so much to keep country safe uh these four along with the hundreds and hundreds of others that fought through all the wars to keep this country in the condition it's in today where people can go around and exercise all their rights and freedom respect and carry themselves with a certain sense of Grace is exactly what these these warriors did for us um and I will always
6:52come out to honor them I think it's extremely important we acknowledge them on Memorial Day and going forward I'm sure as we the parade the other things keep them in your prayers and in your memory the extraordinary efforts they put together to keep this country safe will never never be forgotten thank you thank you I'd like to uh take a minute to thank some of U my comrades in government we have DJ McDonald who is
7:22our Register of Deeds two of my colleagues on the council Council Andrew raposo and Council Brad k um just a few minutes uh to reflect you know you look at the names on this Monument all young adults I mean I know Michael died April 22nd at the age of 19 Robert Barrett died April 19th at the age of 20 Scott Andrews died June 21st at the age of 21 think about that for a
8:04minute you know as I was thinking of what to say today my granddaughters are 18 19 and 20 they're kids they're young these young Heroes went out to fight to defend our country for us to have the freedom that we have but think about what were their dreams what dreams did their parents have for them what career path would they have chosen what would they be doing today would they be married would they have
8:47children I cannot imagine going through this as a parent a grandparent a brother a sister an aunt an uncle to any child that I love but what if it were not for men and women of the military who put their lives on the line where would we be where would we be as a country so I I know that I have Colleen and Joanne mother of two of the individuals two of
9:20Our Heroes on the stone I know that they here today with us and I have to thank them because they raised raed a hero their sons valued Freedom Independence and life enough to put their life on the line for all of us you grow up with that you grow up with the feeling of Pride and caring for other people caring about the community caring about the world so to them I say thank
9:56you you ladies raised these Heroes I I just can't imagine the heartache that they
10:13feel but think about your sons being in your heart forever because they're in my heart forever and their memory will be with me forever just like their memory and their love will always be with their mothers so I don't care if you remember your sons and you cry about it or you remember something your son did and you laugh about it that's because your sons are with you I can't even begin to say I know the
10:49pain you're in but I know how I feel I know how the may just spoke about how he felt especially you know knowing your son was his student we know these people it's not somebody out there this is our community our kids we know them so thank you God bless this country and keep us protected father madic if you would give us a closing
11:27prayer our friends let us pray almighty God we have gathered here this morning family and friends of those who paid the ultimate price to seek to bring peace to this world we ask today that all of us who seek to maintain peace and Order and love in our communities in our Commonwealth in our country and throughout the world we pray for peace among all people and we pray in Thanksgiving once again
12:03for the four young men we honor this day and every day of Our Lives May they be an example to others who seek to keep the peace and to saave off War we pray that those who will come along in the future may look to those who have gone before them and gain from them the strength and the Courage The Bravery to do anything they can to preserve what our country should be all
12:37about we thank you for the four men whom we honor today hold them always in the palm of your hand and help those who fight the battles these days to get to that point soon where the weapons can be placed down and true love among all people may be the rule of the day we thank thank you for all who come out here this day and we pray in a special
13:03way for those who serve us now in the military keep them safe from all harm and may they be an example to all of us of love of country love of brothers and sisters love of their mission to keep the peace amen thank you Father at this time I'm going to ask Joanne melow uh to come up she has a few words she'd like to share with you all if you could have a
13:38seat good morning everyone on behalf of the gold sta families I would like to thank everyone for being here our honor Gods our elected officials father Jay and all of you today is always a tough day but 12 years ago a lady by the name of Maryann Wardell came up with a brainstorm that she was going to make a living memorial for these boys at the time there was only three of
14:15them and she did that and she did it quite well it took a lot of people concrete Landscaping but she made it happen and every Memorial Day we come here to honor these boys in a living Memorial because to us they are still alive in our hearts and I'm hoping that we will always be able to come here to this Memorial which she put so much heart and effort into putting together she passed away several years
14:59ago but not only do we honor them by being here today but we thank her for her participation with all of this because it would never been possible without her and all the help of others so I thank you for coming today to remembering our boys thank you
15:30it's
15:38heavy that k
16:07thank
16:21you there will be three dobes released and it's the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost as these doves fly into the sky send with them a message for our young boys on this Monument
16:53today onard retire color okay
17:58it's thank you all for attending and being part of this ceremony it means a lot to us to the parents to the city of for River retire colors and we will close with read Rebecca singing God Bless America once again if everyone can join me I would really really appreciate it God bless Amer stand beside and guide above the to the to the God bless America my home sweet home God bless America my home
19:19sweet thank you very very much thank you all for attending it means a lot in Far River we never forget