Conference 7.286::maynard

469.0. "Memorial Day Speech 1993" by ICS::IGNACHUCK () Thu May 26 1994 09:41

The following is the text of the speech I delivered at last year's
Memorial Day Parade.  I have been asked many times for copies of 
this and I thought I'd post it here for this Memorial Day.

Frank


    			MEMORIAL DAY 1993

    			 FRANK IGNACHUCK


AT THE LEGION HOME ON SUMMER STREET THERE IS A MONUMENT AND A BRONZE

PLAQUE DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO SERVED OUR COUNTRY IN VIETNAM.  THE

INSCRIPTION ON THE BOTTOM OF THAT PLAQUE READS "LEST WE FORGET".
  

FORTUNATELY, WE LIVE IN A TOWN THAT DOES NOT FORGET.  WHILE SOME OF

OUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES DON'T EVEN HAVE AN HONOR ROLL, THE PEOPLE 

OF MAYNARD, THROUGH THE OUTSTANDING EFFORTS OF OUR VETERANS COUNCIL, THE

VETERANS MEMORIAL COMMITTEE, FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS AND CHURCH AND CIVIC 

GROUPS, HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN THE SACRIFICES MADE BY OUR CITIZENS IN 

DEFENSE AND IN PROTECTION OF FREEDOM, THE FREEDOM WE CONTINUE TO ENJOY 

TODAY.


LEST WE FORGET.


THE PEOPLE OF MAYNARD DO NOT FORGET THOSE WHO DIED FIGHTING TO 

PROTECT AMERICA AND PERSERVE ALL THAT IT STANDS FOR.  FOR EXAMPLE, IT 

WAS IN OCTOBER OF 1919 THAT OUR AMERICAN LEGION POST (POST 235) WAS 

FORMED.  IT WAS NAMED IN HONOR OF FRANK J. DEMARS, THE FIRST MAYNARD 

MAN TO GIVE HIS LIFE IN WORLD WAR 1.  AS YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE A 

STREET IN TOWN NAMED IN HIS HONOR.   BEGINNING IN 1919 THE AMERICAN 

LEGION, LATER JOINED BY THE VFW AND THE AUXILIARIES AS THE MAYNARD

VETERANS COUNCIL, HAVE DECORATED GRAVES AND COORDINATED MEMORIAL DAY 

AND VETERANS DAY SERVICES WITHIN THE TOWN OF MAYNARD, EVERY YEAR. 
  

THEY HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN.


IN 1923, BRONZE TABLETS WERE INSTALLED ON THE MAIN STREET AND WALNUT 

STREET BRIDGES IN MEMORY OF THOSE MAYNARD MEN WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR 1.  

AT THE SAME TIME, THE TOWN DEDICATED SIX SQUARES IN TOWN WITH BRONZE 

MARKERS AS MEMORIALS TO THOSE WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE:  





WE JUST PASSED THROUGH RALPH PANTON SQUARE AT THE CORNER OF MAIN AND

SUMMER STREETS.  IN A FEW MINUTES WE WILL MARCH THROUGH GEORGE DALEY

SQUARE AT THE CORNER OF SUMMER, MAPLE AND BROOKS STREETS.

OTHER SQUARES IN MAYNARD ARE:


    ANTHONY DZERKACZ SQUARE-  SUMMER AND CONCORD STREETS
    
    FRANCIS C KING SQUARE-  MAIN AND WALNUT STREETS

    EDWARD MILLER SQUARE-  MAIN AND NASON STREETS

    AND

    MYLES J TIERNEY SQUARE-  MAIN AND GREAT ROAD



AFTER 70 YEARS, ALL OF THESE BRONZE MEMORIALS ARE STILL IN PLACE AND 

ARE STILL FAITHFULLY DECORATED EACH AND EVERY YEAR.


WHEN SPEAKING OF MEMORIAL DAY AND MEMORIALS, OUR THOUGHTS NATURALLY

FOCUS ON THIS PARK, MEMORIAL PARK.  THIS PARK AND THE MONUMENT BEHIND

ME WERE DEDICATED IN 1925.  IN 1929, HENRY AND GUYER FOWLER PRESENTED 

THE TOWN WITH THIS MONUMENT TO MY LEFT IN HONOR OF THE MAYNARD MEN

AND WOMEN WHO FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR 1.  IN THE LATE 1980'S, THE MAYNARD 

VETERANS MEMORIAL COMMITTEE ERECTED THESE BEAUTIFUL MONUMENTS AND 

COMPLETED THIS PARK AS A PERMANENT MEMORIAL TO ALL THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR 

OUR COUNTRY IN THE NAME OF FREEDOM.  


THERE ARE THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY ONE MAYNARD NAMES ON THE WORLD WAR 1

MEMORIAL.   EIGHT OF OUR LOVED ONES DIED IN THAT WAR.  IN WORLD WAR 2, 

1090 MEN AND WOMEN ENTERED THE CONFLICT, AN AMAZING NUMBER.  THIRTY THREE 

OF OUR MAYNARD CITIZENS GAVE THEIR LIVES IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY.   


IN KOREA, 98 MAYNARD MEN AND WOMEN ANSWERED THE CALL, WITH ONE KILLED IN

ACTION, AND ANOTHER 98 FOUGHT IN VIET NAM, AND WE LOST THREE IN THAT 

CONFLICT.







HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF NAMES.  OUR FATHERS AND MOTHERS.  OUR BROTHERS 

AND SISTERS.  NEIGHBORS AND GOOD FRIENDS.  ALL BELIEVED THAT THEIR COUNTRY, 

OUR COUNTRY, WAS WORTH FIGHTING FOR, EVEN AT THE COST OF THEIR LIVES.   


AS IT SAYS ON THE MONUMENT BEHIND ME:  "THEY SACRIFICED THEIR TODAY FOR

OUR TOMORROW".


WE IN MAYNARD HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THEM AND WE NEVER WILL.


    

    Wow Frank, I'm moved.  Sorry I missed last year's parade and the
    opportunity to hear it 1st hand.
    
    

    Thank's, Frank.
    
    Jim
    Vietnam '66-'67

    Never served, Frank, but do have a lot of family and friends that have.
    That's one of the finest speeches I've heard.
    
    					Steve