Sgt. 1st Class Michael McCarron tells the students to take a moment on Memorial Day, and every day, to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — If there was a simple message for the youngsters at Brayton Elementary School on Friday, it was this: Remembrance isn't just for Memorial Day.
Marie McCarron's fourth-grade class this year took up the mantle from the former Sullivan School, which held a pre-Memorial Day celebration for years organized by Anna Saldo-Burke and her third-grade class.
The entire school, veterans organizations, local officials and the Richard A. Ruether Post 152 American Legion color guard filled the auditorium Friday morning to sing patriotic songs and hear from speakers. Each guest was introduced and Korean and World War II veteran Francis Merrigan was applauded as he left the room.
Guest speaker retired Army Reserve Col. James Brosnan, superintendent of McCann Technical School who served Kuwait and Iraq, noted that the beginnings of Memorial Day, formerly Decoration Day, had begun after the Civil War. Flowers were placed on both Confederate and Union graves to honor their ultimate sacrifice.
"Since Lexington and Concord in 1775 started our Revolution, over a million men and women have given their lives to defend this nation and to defend freedom," he said. "That's an awful lot of people in the last several hundred years. They are mothers and they are fathers, they are brothers and sisters, and they will always be remembered by others."
While they will always be remembered by their families, he asked the children to also think about them.
"You don't have to know their names, you don't have to to know where they died, you don't have to know where their remains are buried," he said, holding up the page of a newspaper with the names and pictures of 33 servicemen and -women who had died just since the beginning of the year.
Take a moment, Brosnan said, on Monday to think about all those who died in service to the nation.
"It won't take much but it will be always be in your mind that you thanked the men and women who gave their lives."
The fourth-graders took turns introducing and recognizing the guests. Colby Chaplin led the Pledge of Allegiance; Yaritza Lopez and Jaden Perras explained the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day and history of the holiday; and Sabriel Spencer read President Lincoln's letter to Mrs. Bixby, who lost five sons in the Civil War.
McCarron said the students were excited to put on the event. "I think they really learned something," she said. "The did a lot of research and they were really into it."
The other grades participated by singing songs, with the Grades 4-7 chorus singing three songs, including "Let There Be Peace on Earth."
State Rep. Gailanne Cariddi talked about the how the poppy came to symbolize sacrifice from the poem "In Flanders Fields" by Canadian Col. John McCrae, about the battlefields of World War I.
"They lie dormant until the ground is all broken up and in the disturbed ground of the battlefield, the poppy seeds grew into many, many fields of bright red flowers," she said. The poppies were adopted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the little paper "Buddy Poppies" were distributed as a reminder and fundraiser for veterans.
"When I was a little girl ... you could see people selling these Buddy Poppies all over North Adams," she said, gesturing to the poppy on her suit coat.
Mayor Richard Alcombright said he was in his yard the other night, thinking about what he would say this day, and looking at the mountains.
"As I gazed up, I thought 'how lucky am I.' Then I thought, 'how lucky are we' that we have such protectors," he said. "We know that so many around the world live in fear and live in war ... freedom for us at times is like turning on the water. Right? It's always there for us. Yet for so many around the world, there is no freedom. It just does not exist."
They were all fortunate to live under a flag of freedom and it was important to remember the men and women who died to keep that freedom, he said, inviting everyone to attend the Memorial Day services on Monday morning.
As the final speaker, Sgt. 1st Class Michael McCarron gave the children a "soldier's perception" of what Memorial Day feels like. McCarron, Marie McCarron's husband, has done four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan in the Army Reserve and returned home from his last tour in the fall.
Having been at a lot of Memorial Day events, he said, "it leaves me with a very, very somber feeling."
Every soldier who serves always plans on coming home, but not all do.
"From the first tour of duty to the last, knowing the risks all soldiers take is never far from your mind," he said. "Only soldiers like myself can understand the deep heartfelt anguish we feel when we observe Memorial Day."
He encouraged those attending to participate in the national moment of silence at 3 p.m. on Monday, to stop whatever they are doing in and reflect on the sacrifice others have made. And not just that day, but every day.
"I think about them every day like we all should," McCarron said, adding, "Because freedom comes with a price and those that pay that price should be remembered."
Participating fourth-graders were Lillian Brown, Tiana Carver, Colby Chapin, Kaylee Crisman, Alexandra Dargie, Nevaeh Flynn, Alexcia Forrest, Benjamin George, Carter LaCasse, Aubrey Levesque, Yaritza Lopez, Jaden Perras, Angel Pucheta, Sabriel Spencer and Khloe Vanuni.
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