Memorial Day in Metuchen 2009
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
79 Responses to “Memorial Day in Metuchen 2009”
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My family calls me "the mamarazzi."
Oh, Julie… halfway around the world, tears streaming down my face, I love seeing America through your eyes. Mr. Robinson’s voice, his words, couldn’t be more touching and thoughtful and inspiring. Thank you for your gift, Julie. What a wonder you are! xo Beth
It made me cry. You did an amazing job.
amazing. amazing. i don’t need to cry this early in the morning! it just makes you realize how many HEROS we have in our own backyards. julie, as always, your pictures are incredible. thanks for sharing.
were you drawn to the other picture because:
1 – the patches on the girl in the blue vest form an exclamation point?
2 – is there something special about the number 66?
3 – did you think it was adorable that the girl in the green had a mismatched outfit on (so cute!)?
Thanks Kim — I got a bunch of awesome pictures of your family in Tokyo!
But keep guessing about the girl scout picture.
leave it to you & Beth to hone in on the chocolate badge!!
Hi Julie, loved the slideshow, saw the link up on your facebook page, just so cool and loved the music. Fun to see so many familiar faces, didn’t realize Norma & Jim’s son was home, very cool to see Bayard. And Owen on the tricycle with balloons is too adorable… And the overhead shot of everyone leaving the parade, pretty neat. I loved how you capture the specialness of Metuchen. Beautiful!
Thanks Ellen! Actually that overhead shot is of the bicycle brigade. Long, huh? The firetrucks, and probably some other stuff too, came after the bicycles. It was really cool that the bicycles didn’t come AFTER the firetrucks this year. (Exhaust and all.) I LOVE that tricycle/balloons shot! Bayard was great! He offered his cool hat to the girl scout who gave him a rose. It was so sweet.
OK, I saw you in the guy’s sunglasses (the one with the beret)! And I THINK I know what drew you to that last picture, but it’s just a guess, so I’ll see if anyone else says it.
Yay! That’s me — in the sunglasses.
So far no body has gotten the girl scout vest.
If it’s the same thing that caught MY eye, it’s one of the patches of the Girl Scout (green vest).
OK, now I need dessert.
LOL!!!! You’re hot, girl! Like MELTING!
Julie,
Your slide show is absolutely amazing and brought tears to my eyes. What a wonderful was to honor everyone…Makes me miss my hometown, family and friends I left behind & realize I need to make it back there more often.
God Bless
Stacy Gyug
MHS Class of 88′
Julie, I have goosebumps. I love what you do, and how you do it. You are really gifted.
Julie, your slideshows always bring a tear to my eye! You did another marvelous job! I’m so proud to be from Metuchen!
Loved the slideshow…as usual. You really know how to capture everything just right! And I liked how you made your cameo in the slideshow in the guys sunglasses. Very nice job, Julie!!!
What a beautiful tribute to what must be a lovely place to love. Now THAT is America. All people, young and old, black and white, rich and poor, military and civilian coming together to celebrate and remember and HONOR those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for OUR freedom. Thanks for letting us share in your beautiful celebration.
Julie,I felt chills and then it made me cry
Your work put me in awe
it was a beautiful tribute
Oh and I wanted to take a guess at one of the questions. In the last picture on the blog what caught my eye was that the Girl Scout was holding the younger Daisy’s hand and she had previously earned a “Junior Aide” badge. She obviously held onto what she learned and showed it as she helped the Daisy along.
You are absolutely right in the sense that that’s what I saw NEXT, after first seeing the OTHER thing that caught my eye.
Julie the slide show is simply breathtaking. Your talent is beyond words! AMAZING
Thanks to the parade committee and all the active military who were there, every veteran, every bicyclist, every musician, every person lining the streets, and especially Sammie and Sgt. Robinson. Without all of YOU, I would have no slide show to make.
Simply incredible and breath taking. Every year I don’t think you can top the year before and you do. Sammie was amazing and I could listen to Mr. Robinson talk about America all day long. A perfect mix. Thanks again for sharing your God given talent with all of us!! We are blessed to live in a community so rich with talented and giving people.
Wow, Julie, what a great slideshow! There’s so much to see and hear — Sammie’s singing was absolutely beautiful, and the commentary by Mr. Robinson was a perfect addition. A great tribute to those who serve our country!