Memorial Day Celebration 2010.

For some, Memorial Day is just the first official day of summer, a day off from work, a day to party and drink.
For others, the true meaning of the Holiday at the beginning of summer did not get lost among picnics and barbecues. About 55 individuals gathered around Holland Elementary School on this perfect day with above average temperatures and plenty of sunshine to remember and honor our veterans.
This special day at the beginning of summer has been organized by Dawn Cass-Evens and Valerie Ebersold for years.
When I got there, a young lady in a Girl Scout uniform handed me a little American Flag.
Members of the Holland Fire Department brought their heavy equipment. Little groups of friends formed around the Monument with the names of our fallen heroes.
Allan Blair, a 72 year old gentleman, was sitting at the end of the guard rail along Sand Hill Road. I started a conversation with Allan who lives at 160 Stafford Road and learned that he was a veteran who had served the country in Vietnam. Allan: “For some reasons this day is getting more important to me as I get older..” He told me that his two brothers also served the country; his 14 year older brother in World War II, and his eight years younger brother also in Vietnam. Later, during the ceremony, Dawn Cass-Evans encouraged veterans to come forward and share some of their personal stories. Allan was too humble to address the crowd and get the respect and attention he and every other veteran deserves.

Eventually our (very weathered) RED WHITE AND BLUE symbol of freedom and patriotism was raised. Pulling the rope was 91 year old World War II Veteran Louis Majka. Corporal Jeffrey Forcier from the Holland Police Department is watching over the flag raising.
Everybody then sang the National Anthem to tribute their respect.
Pastor Bruce Plumley from the Holland Congregational Church read a prayer to the attending crowd.

The lady in the blue shirt shared her story and history she has with the two Hollands; the European Country also known as the Netherlands which is her country of origin, and the town she calls home.
She expressed her gratitude to the brave men who liberated her country of origin during WWII.

Eddie Voloka served most of his life on a submarine. After his retirement he was living for many years on Old County Road here in Holland and moved to Sturbridge in 2006.
After the ceremony, the parade moved from the Monument to the Holland cemetery. Officer Forcier’s police SUV was in front of the parade followed by the two Fire Engines of the Holland Fire Department.



Veteran Louis Majka’s grandson playing the trumpet at the cemetary.

After the ceremony, hot coffee and snacks were waiting for the crowd at the Senior Center right next to the cemetery.
While children and adults colored greeting cards for our men in active duty with crayons, others just got to know each other or rekindled old friendships.

I had the honor to be introduced to Louis Majka, the WWII veteran who took on to raise the flag earlier.
He moved to live with his daughter and her family eight years ago after his wife passed away.
He had a lot of interesting stories to tell.
Wars somehow, if you survive them, put everything into prospective. Louis chose the life of a professional musician after WWII and I got the impression that he had an interesting life. No wonder that his grandson is playing the trumpet and was the one who treated the crowed to a performance at the cemetery earlier.
There was not enough time as usually when it gets interesting. I hope Dawn and Valerie keep it up and treat the community with another well organized Memorial Day celebration next year.

May 31, 2010, Peter Frei