Orleans Residents, Officials Gather To Honor Fallen Veterans

ORLEANS – A moment of silence Monday followed Kevin Higgins’ reading of the names of 11 Orleans residents who died in service to their country dating back to the Civil War. The silence was a weighted reminder of why residents and visitors continue to gather in remembrance each Memorial Day in Veterans Memorial Park.

“Memorial Day is a time for Americans to reconnect with their history and core values by honoring those who have served in the military for the lifestyle and ideals that we have all come to cherish,” said Higgins, who chairs the town’s Veterans and Memorial Day committee.

As has been tradition for many years, residents and visitors gathered at Town Cove Monday morning, where an opening prayer was given by Brewster VFW Commander Alan Wilmot. The Nauset Regional Middle School Band played and bouquets were tossed into the water outside the Orleans Yacht Club in tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Spectators and participants then made the short procession from the cove over to the park.

The town’s Memorial Day ceremony has long been a well-dialed-in event. But while routines can become comfortable, Michael Herman of the select board urged those in attendance to keep the reason behind the holiday front of mind.

“When we constantly do repetitive things, sometimes we forget the actual meaning behind them,” he said before breaking down the Pledge of Allegiance line by line to unpack the meaning behind its words.

Flags situated throughout the park stood in recognition of every Orleans resident who Higgins said “wrote a blank check” by enlisting to serve their country.

“And like the military itself, the flags are relatively silent,” he said. “But they’re there, standing vigilant, protecting us. Just like the military.”

Former State Rep. Tim Whelan, a retired Massachusetts state trooper and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, served as Monday’s keynote speaker. While the freedoms Americans have can easily be taken for granted, he noted that many gave their lives for those freedoms we enjoy everyday, and that “valor has no expiration date.”

“They never got to experience the joys that many of us have,” he said. “Getting married, having children, having grandchildren, owning property, going on vacations. They gave all that up for people that they would never meet and will never know. And for them, we gather today to offer them a sincere level of gratitude.”

Jon Fuller, a retired senior chief with the U.S. Navy who also serves on the Veterans and Memorial Day committee, addressed an empty table situated in the center of the park, which stood as a symbol of those prisoners of war who never returned home from service.

“Remember,” he said.

Andrew de Lory, a retired U.S. Army specialist and Veterans and Memorial Day committee member, acknowledged America’s four freedoms: freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom to worship and freedom of the press.

“Service is love in action,” he said. “Those who served and sacrificed to preserve our precious freedoms and democracy in the face of the enemy, both foreign and domestic, deserve our respect, honor, gratitude and our lasting memory.”

Email Ryan Bray at ryan@capecodchronicle.com