Memorial Day in Metuchen

Memorial Day in Metuchen
is dedicated to the honor and support
of United States service personnel,
past and present,
especially those in harm’s way.

Click the picture above, or click here, for a slide show from the 2009 Metuchen Memorial Day parade and ceremony. (Isn’t that a cool picture? I love it! SO many people!) Turn up the sound for a very special treat! When the show is finished, it will jump back here where you can leave a comment showing support for the troops, and thanking the parade committee and our special guests. As usual, the committee is a well-oiled machine, planning all year to put together this event. And I swear I don’t know how they keep managing such great weather!

I am moved by Memorial Day events in our small town, and am grateful to so many people who participated in the event and to so many who stood on our streets waving and cheering. You all graciously allowed my camera to capture many touching moments and remarkable faces. Above, Samantha Cook sang the National Anthem at the ceremony, and provided audio for the slide show as well. Beautiful job, Sammie! Thank you!

I was out way too early on Memorial Day morning. I wanted to watch the sun rise.

Little did I know that this was the day I would meet a most special man, Daniel E. Robinson. He was one of the Grand Marshals in the parade and when I met him after the ceremony, we instantly began chatting about how special Memorial Day in Metuchen truly is. So I asked him if I could record him talking about Memorial Day. He graciously agreed and the result is a very special addition to the slide show this year.

A sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corp. serving as a communications officer in the South Pacific during World War II, he later went on to become a pioneer in telecommunications research. He helped NASA launch the Mercury and Apollo space capsules! I mean, what are the odds that of all the people at that ceremony, I would zone in on a world famous communications expert without knowing a single thing about him prior to the event. I think it was fate, or, as Sgt. Robinson says on the slide show audio, maybe it was God that put us together.

Catherine Manchero won the poster contest. Her drawing graced the cover of the program. Congratulations, Catherine! (My photograph shows how her picture looked hanging in the window of the Metuchen Savings Bank.)

Some of the other winning posters are shown in the slide show. Congratulations to everyone who participated. This is one of my favorites.

Fave!

Before the parade begins, I like to roam around the line-up and observe what’s going on. It struck me as poignant that this man was momentarily all alone in the chaos.

Fave!

The group that comes from Lincoln High School always impresses me with their poise and politeness.

I love all the decorated bicycles.

I like to capture the crowds too, from the faces of young people to the fashions and emotions. What an adorable face he has!

There were HUGE crowds this year.

She is making that face because of some loud gun thingie. (“Thingie” being a technical term that might include a drum or a cannon.)

Color guard was very colorful, and she is one of my all-time favorite color guard people!

After I took this shot, I heard a woman say, “See, I knew that would be a good picture.”

That’s Badger, if I remember correctly. I love her eyes! Wow!

This is probably the coolest posed snapshot picture I ever took.

Major Bayard Smith of the U.S. Army National Guard recently returned from serving in the Middle East. He was one of the Grand Marshals.

We’re all so glad he’s safe. (That’s his dad above.)

Everybody LOVES the major’s cavalry hat!

Sgt. Ted Ayotte of the Metuchen Police Department will be retiring soon. Jan Margolis, chair of the parade committee, surprised him with a special award.

As is tradition, Vietnam veterans gather around Legion Hall to ceremoniously pour out their beer in memory of those who haven’t made their way home.

That actually looks pretty good, and I don’t even like beer.

Metuchen Matters posted old Memorial Day parade photographs from 1928 and 1948 on their web site a few days ago. Studying the pictures made me wonder what daily life was like on those specific days. So when I saw the sign above in front of What’s the Scoop, I thought it would be cool to capture something that showed a little about what our life is like. Besides the prices, “bailout” on the board is a telling feature of our time right now.

Can you guess what it is about this picture that drew me to it? Oooh, and one more little blog contest for you: I made a cameo in the slide show. Did you see me?

Memorial Day is a highlight of living in Metuchen. Presented by the Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce, the parade and ceremony requires many volunteers and many hours of work in preparation.

If you have a moment, please leave a comment below thanking veterans and their families for all they have sacrificed for our country. And be sure to thank the Memorial Day Parade Committee for all their hard work!

And be sure to leave a special word of thanks to Sammie Cook and Sgt. Robinson for making our slide show so special.

May God grant us peace and protect our troops,
~julie