Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the 2025 city of Fall River Memorial Day celebration. First I would like to welcome Mayor Paul Kugan to give us a few words. Uh obviously this year the parade is the wrapup of a three-day Memorial Day celebration to honor those that did give the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Uh we appreciate everyone coming out today. The weather's working
0:30for us, but please keep them in your mind, in their mind, in your minds and in your hearts, because these are the people that allow us to have celebrations like this. And whether it's in Europe or the Pacific or wherever, these people did give everything they have, leaving behind what we now call as gold star families who every single day miss their loved ones because of the sacrifice they gave to make this country
0:58free. I appreciate all of you for being here and let's have a nice Memorial Day parade. Thank you.
1:10All right. Would you please join me in the pledge of allegiance?
1:18I 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.
1:36Our Corey sisters are not here. Are the Corey sisters here in the crowd with us?
1:41Here they are. We will have the national anthem by the Corey sisters at this time, followed by God Bless America by Miss Fall River Teen.
2:03Check. One, two. Check.
2:16Say by the dawn light. What so proudly we held at the twilight last name.
2:37brought stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight. For the ramp parts we watched were so gallently streaming.
3:04And the rock is red glare. The bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
3:32Oh, say does that star spangled ber yet or the land of the free and the Home of the brave.
4:11Amazing job.
4:24Should I pick it up or just leave it?
4:25Uh, use the one. You can take it out if you need to. Just slide it right on up.
4:30There you go.
4:32God bless that I love. Stand beside her and guide her through the night with a light from above. From the mountains to the prairies to the o with God bless America my home sweet home.
5:09God bless America, my home sweet home.
5:27Awesome job. Awesome job. We will now have the invocation by Reverend Andy Stinson.
5:44I invite you to join me in prayer. Oh Christ, the bringer of peace.
5:51We come to this moment to mark this sacred hour in remembrance of those in Fall River and throughout the nation who gra gave the greatest measure of devotion of the nation the life that you gave them.
6:08Grant us reverence in this hour. That your spirit whose peace surpasses all understanding will be upon us. So that as we honor the fallen and their sacrifice this afternoon, your spirit may hover around each one of us and that in earn these earnest ceremonies, your blessing may be in our midst. in all our neighborhoods, in all of our streets throughout this city. Let each household tremble for a moment in
6:37silence at the great sacrifice given for them in the loss of these warriors that we honor today. Help us to make sacred the task you have set before us and to not let them be forgotten. Remove from us the self-ride and self-importance and let us first and foremost hold up this sacrifice they have given. And in so doing, may we ease the sorrow of those who mourn. May your presence bless all
7:06here this day as we honor these sons and daughters of Fall River and the nation.
7:12In the name of all that is holy, we pray and the one who makes all things new.
7:17Amen. Amen.
7:25At this time, we will lay the wreath and we will have a moment of silence. Um, Councilman uh Ricky Tith and uh Councilwoman Linda Pereira, would you mind setting the wreath here?
7:40We'll just post it right here in the front between these two gentlemen.
8:06At this time we will also have taps.
8:26Ready. Left face.
9:07La.
9:33Hold on.
9:44Good afternoon everyone. On behalf of the city of Fall River and the Office of Veteran Services, I want to thank you all for being here today. Your presence, your willingness to stand with us speaks volumes. You could be anywhere this afternoon, but you choose to spend this time and these moments in remembrance, and for that I am deeply grateful. As a veteran myself, I can tell you this day
10:07holds more weight than many realize.
10:10Memorial Day is not just a date on the calendar. It's not just a time for cookouts. It is a national moment of truth, a day of reflection and reverence. It is about honoring those who never made it home. It is about remembering the ones who gave everything. Since the founding of our nation, more than 1.3 million American service members have died in wartime.
10:35From the battlefields of Lexington and Gettysburg to the trenches of Europe, the islands of the the Pacific, the jungles of Vietnam, the sands of the Middle East and beyond, each name, each life represents a story of courage and sacrifice and love of country. And Fall River has never stood apart from that sacrifice. Our city has given sons and daughters, brave men and women who answered the call and paid the ultimate
11:02price in defense of our nation and our shared freedoms. You can find their names etched into granite in our parks and memorials, but you can also find them in the hearts of families across this city. Their memory lives in the soul of Fall River. We are proud to live in a community that remembers not just the words, but with action. We gather, we mourn, we honor, and we teach the next generation to do the same. Today,
11:32we also recognize a man whose legacy of service continues to inspire our 2025 Memorial Grand Mar memorial day grand marshal, Navy Chief Al Given. As you see in your programs, Chief Given represents not just the strength of our military, but the enduring spirit of leadership and commitment to others that defines true service. Chief, we thank you for your continued example and for the decades you've devoted to both our
12:03country and this community. Memorial Day is also about connection, about understanding that freedom is not a solo achievement. It is a collective inheritance passed down through generation by those willing to stand watch while others sleep to sacrifice comfort for country and to put service before self. That sacrifice is not limited to the past. As we speak, American men and women are deployed
12:29around the world. Some are in active combat zones. Some are standing post on foreign soil, far from their families.
12:38They face danger daily out of duty, out of love, and out of the same unshakable commitment to freedom that binds every veteran across our nation. Let us not forget them today. Let us lift them in prayer. Let us commit ourselves to ensuring that we when given the opportunity support their mission, understanding that it is not done. Also hoping they return home safe, honored, and never forgotten.
13:06Memorial Day is a call to memory, but it is also a call to action. Let us be a country that is worthy of those sacrifices. Let us live lives of service to others and one another. But most of all, let us take care of those who came home and never forget those who did not.
13:25Thank you.
13:36from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
13:39A proclamation. Whereas, while the nation was still recovering from the Civil War, people in cities and towns across the country gathered to honor the soldiers who had given their lives celebrating the first decor, excuse me, the first decoration day. And whereas after World War I, the nation came together again to honor those who had fallen in the service of their country renamed Memorial Day. The last Monday in
14:06May when people remember and 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 residents have fought in the wars and conflicts to defend our safety and way of life. And whereas their legacy of patriotism and dedication to the country is an inspiration to all Americans. And
14:32whereas it is appropriate that all Massachusetts residents remember the bravery of those who gave their lives so that their sacrifice serves as a reminder of the cost of our freedom. Now therefore, I, Mara T. Healey, governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby pro proclaim May 26, 2025 to be Memorial Day. And I urge all residents of the Commonwealth to take cognizant of
15:01this event and participate fittingly in its observance. Thank you.
15:11At this time we will have Father Rob for our
15:22benediction as we gather on this Memorial Day in this one of many sacred spaces across Fall River honoring those who gave their lives in service of our country. Join with me in prayer.
15:35Lord God, reverently on this Memorial Day, we first and foremost honor the lives of those who gave them in service of our country, of our freedom.
15:47We ask your grace and blessing on our gold star families for their great sacrifice for lives forever changed because of the dedication and sacrifice of their loved ones for our country. On this day, we remember, honor, and cherish all of those who gave their lives for our country. For through their sacrifice, they have taught us the true meaning of patriotism and that devotion to country which rises above
16:24creed, color, and class. on this day as 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 you thanks for the lessons of this day and rededicate ourselves to the freedom, justice, and equality and the peace for which they fought and died. To all the
16:53heroic dead we honor this day, grant them the light of your presence. And may the good done in them be continued by us. This we ask in your most holy name.
17:05Amen.
17:12Thank you, Father Rob, for that prayer. At this time, I would like the Fall River Police Department to retire the colors.
17:27Thank you for joining us for our recognition of Memorial Day here in the city of Fall River. May God bless the city of Fall River and the United States of America.