CARIBOU, Maine — Over 100 people were on hand Sunday as U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and retired Army Brig. Gen. John Levasseur delivered moving speeches to mark Memorial Day under overcast skies at the Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery.
“One of my earliest childhood memories is of my father Don Collins putting on his old Army jacket and taking me to the Memorial Day Parade in downtown Caribou,” recalled Collins. “He would hoist me high on his shoulders and, from the best vantage point in the entire parade, I would see our flag go by, the hats come off, and hands go over hearts as we saluted our flag.”
The Caribou native said it was not until “many years later” that she learned of her father’s service in World War II.
“[My father] fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was wounded twice, earning two purple hearts and a bronze star,” Collins said. “Like so many of our vets, he would rarely talk about that day when he just turned 19 and was wounded twice. That quiet courage, that modest heroism, that desire to do nothing after conflicts end but return home to a peaceful and productive life is part of the veterans whom we celebrate today. It is the history that we see from the shoulders of generations of such Americans.”
Levasseur, the event’s keynote speaker, described the humbling experience of visiting veteran cemeteries.
“All veteran cemeteries share one thing: the theme of solitude and honor of service, a reminder that the freedoms we enjoy today come with a price — a personal price of personal sufferings and hardships beyond everyday life,” he said.
Levasseur told attendants that, as he walked through the cemetery in Caribou and read the tombstones of fallen veterans, he was reminded of Linda Ellis’ poem, which uses the dash between birth and death dates as a metaphor for a life once lived.
“The headstone inscriptions remind me of a poem of life,” the retired brigadier general said. “It defines a person’s life with a simple dash. The poem is titled, ‘We Always Remember Your Dash.’”
“Think about this long and hard, are there things you’d like to change,” Levasseur recited, “For you never know how much time you have left or how much you can rearrange. If we could just slow down a little bit to consider what’s true and real and always try to understand the way other people feel. And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and to love people in our lives like we’ve never loved before. If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile, remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.”
Levasseur said he’s reminded of the poem whenever he visits a veteran cemetery and reads the headstones.
“Some veterans return home never able to say goodbye to their loved ones,” he said. “Some return dealing with injuries and missing limbs, and some relive the nightmare of their tours over and over. Their dashes do not reflect the consequences of the reality of their serving their country.”
Collins also asked the audience to recognize Northern Maine Cemetery Board Chairman Harry Hafford for “recognizing everyone but himself.”
Hafford himself gave remarks thanking local organizations for their support of the Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery. In addition, Barbara Hayslett and Kim Rohn respectively read statements from U.S. Sen. Angus S. King, Jr. and U.S. Rep. Bruce L. Poliquin.
Levasseur and Hafford laid a memorial wreath after the speeches, and Air Force Veteran Heather Fullen performed a capella renditions of the national anthem and “God Bless America.” The ceremony began with CPO Carl Smith presenting Loring Job Corps Student Honor Guards with colors and ended with taps performed by Erica Thompson and a benediction from Rev. David Cote.
