Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
SOMERVILLE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — For some, Somerville's annual Memorial Day parade through Davis Square on Sunday was about the simple pleasures.
"Well we're here with our one-and-a-half-year-old, so we're excited for her to see the firetrucks," one person said.
But for the more than 80 groups who walked up Holland Street, including locals from the Navy, Coast Guard, and other branches of the military, the parade was a more somber affair.
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"Memorial Day is about celebrating the people who were never able to return," a fife and drummer told WBZ NewsRadio, "and for us especially, a lot of us didn’t get recognized. There weren’t great records at the beginning of our country."
Bob Hardy, who served with the 1st Calvary Division during the Vietnam War, was the parade's grand marshal. Born and raised in Somerville, Hardy has been involved in veterans affairs since the 1980s.
Hardy laughed as he recounted the time he asked a grammar school student what Memorial Day meant to him.
"'Cause he told the truth. 'It’s a day off, we’re gonna have pizzas and hamburgers.' Haha, what else can I say?" Hardy said.
1 of 2 Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
2 of 2 Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
Ahead of the holiday, some paradegoers said the key was to strike a balance between stoically remembering the fallen and joyfully spending time with family.
"It’s a somber occasion, but it’s also a day to celebrate," one said. "So it’s good to have that balance there."
"I think that a great way to bring people together is with happiness and smiles, and even though it might be a somber day, we can pay our respects with a smile," said another.
WBZ’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
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