Mayor Dan Rizzo is pleased to announce that this year’s Memorial Day Exercises will be held on Mon., May 28 at 11 a.m. on the lawn at the American Legion Building, 249 Broadway.
The guest speaker for the services will be Chief Brian Fisher of the United States Coast Guard. Chief Fisher has served in the United States Coast Guard for 12 years and comes from a military family. His father is a 28-year veteran of the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard. Chief Fisher has attended a number of special training schools for Electronics, Communications, Hazardous Materials Response, Oil Spill Clean-up, and leadership. His previous duty stations include the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma, The Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team, and the Coast Guard Cutter Sherman.
Chief Fisher was involved with the Coast Guard’s response efforts to September 11th, the cleanup of several large Oil spills in southern California, and Dutch Harbor Alaska. He also played a major part in establishing communications for the Coast Guard during cleanup efforts in Louisiana after hurricane’s Katrina, and Rita. Currently Chief Fisher is stationed in Boston and is busy spending his spare time planning for his upcoming wedding.
The Master of Ceremonies for the event will be Director of Veterans’ Services, Nick Bua. He is an Air Force veteran serving in France during the Vietnam era. He has been active in veteran affairs since 1980. Appointed to the V.A. Medical Center Advisory Board, he earned his 500-hour pin. Bua has served on many committees performing duties at both the Chelsea Soldiers Home and the V.A. in Jamaica Plain.
The ceremony will include laying of wreaths, musical selections, the playing of taps and a recitation of the names of Revere’s war dead from the Revolutionary War through the Gulf War.
It is expected that many newly returning veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will play a major role in the ceremonies. Attendance at the exercises has increased over the last several years due to so many soldiers returning from war.
In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved inside the American Legion Hall. The VFW Beachmont Post #6712 will provide refreshments.
