The Knights of Columbus Monsignor James S. Conlan Council #5329 will be marching in Annual Pine Bush Memorial Day Parade in support of our veterans and active military service soldiers with special remembrance of all those veterans who have died in service to our country whether in times of peace or war, in service or retirement.
The Annual Pine Bush Memorial Day Parade will be held on Monday, May 27, 2024. The parade steps off at 9a ET and all Brother Knights interested in joining should gather at the Crispell Middle School rear parking lot by 8a ET. The parade will follow a route along Route 302 between the Crispell Middle School and the intersection with Route 52. The parade will then continue down Maple Avenue and around onto North Street with the route ending at the Town of Crawford Town Park. A ceremony will be held at the Veterans’ Memorial monument in the park to remember all those veterans who have passed away with local State, County, and Town officials officiating the service. The Memorial monument has been recently refurbished and improved. A dedication ceremony of the new improved monument will also be held. Many other civic and non-profit community organizations are expected to join us in the parade including the American Legion Post 1308 Pine Bush NY and the Eugene Kelly Catholic War Veterans Post 1937 (Pine Bush NY). Several of our members will be marching with these organizations as they are veterans who are also part of these wonderful civic organizations that provide veterans with a chance to continue to serve their communities in their retired civilian life as well as find support among fellow veterans in that community service.
Please come out to support our veterans and active service members especially those who have passed away by attending the parade along the route. It is important we as a community show support for our military service members and pay our respects to all deceased veterans so as to remember their service to God and country.
Memorial Day is often confused with Veterans’ Day. Veterans’ Day remembers all living veterans and active military service members. While Memorial Day is focused on honoring the memory of our deceased veterans and has its root in the post-Civil War unofficial holiday called Decoration Day where the deceased Union soldiers were remembered by their living fellow soldiers as well as the communities they hailed from by decorating their graves with flowers as well as holding remembrance ceremonies in the cemeteries where they were buried. Geraniums where the flower of choice for Decoration Day for several reasons including their perennial nature as well as blooming around that time seasonally across the US. Decoration Day was more officially formalized by a “Memorial Day Order” issued by Grand Army of the Republic Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan in 1868. The modern proclamation calls on Americans “to observe Memorial Day by praying, according to their individual religious faith, for permanent peace.” Originally Memorial Day only celebrated those who died in combat or wartime, but has since expanded to include all veterans who have served who have died regardless of when they served or when they died. It is therefore important we honor all our veterans who have passed away whether they served in peace time or war time, as well as, whether they died in combat or in retirement. Regardless of when they served or how they served, our veterans served and risked the chance of giving their life to protect our country. We need to honor that selfless act and remember them for their sacrifice. There is no better way to do that than coming together as a community and taking time out from our personal celebrations to remember those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom– their giving of their lives so we can live ours in freedom.
Please come out to show your support for our deceased veterans this Memorial Day and keep alive the memory of all our soldiers who have returned home to God. Please keep all our deceased veterans in your prayers along with their families who continue to mourn their loss of their loved ones.
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