CARIBOU, Maine — This Memorial Day, residents and local veterans groups wanted to make sure the sacrifices of fallen soldiers are never forgotten.
On Monday, hundreds of people lined the streets to watch the annual parade in Caribou. Members of American Legion Post 15, VFW Post 9389, Civil Air Patrol, Loring Job Corps Color Guard, pageant queens, Girl Scouts, Little League players, RSU 39 band members, local firefighters and police officers made their way from Caribou High School to Veterans Memorial Park on Main Street.
Young members of the Civil Air Patrol march in Caribou’s Memorial Day parade Monday. (Melissa Lizotte | Aroostook Republican)
The ensemble then gathered at the Memorial Park for a brief ceremony.
Lynwood Lloyd of VFW Post 9389 salutes at the Veterans Memorial Park garden in Caribou while fellow VFW member Paul Walton looks on. (Melissa Lizotte | Aroostook Republican)
Limestone resident and veteran Helena Garratt led a prayer and sang the National Anthem. Speakers included American Legion Auxiliary Post 15 President Rebecca Dixon, Post 15 Commander Wayne Little, incoming VFW Post 9389 President Pat Edgecomb and Post 9389 Commander Roger Felix.
Limestone resident and veteran Helena Garratt performs the National Anthem during a Memorial Day ceremony in Caribou. (Melissa Lizotte | Aroostook Republican)
“We are here today to remember and honor those who died so that we can live in freedom,” Dixon said.
Felix encouraged those in attendance to remember the real reason why Memorial Day gives many people a three-day weekend off from work.
“It’s not because a buddy of yours said, ‘Hey, why don’t we take Monday off?’” Felix said. “It’s because somebody sacrificed themselves so we can have freedom.”
Felix and Little read the roll-call list of 33 Caribou area veterans who have died since Memorial Day 2022. Their service includes conflicts such as World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War within the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.
Pre-Teen Miss Caribou 2022 Mallory Maynard (left) and Little Miss Caribou 2023 Marigan Maynard ride in the city’s Memorial Day parade. (Melissa Lizotte | Aroostook Republican)
The list is as follows: Alberie Saucier, Roy Green, John Ouellette, William Pinkham, Gary O’Neal, Frank Patane, George T. Cox, Walter L. Greenier II, Andre L. Dumas, Jeff Chapman, Tommy Cox, Joel Theriault, Joseph Bouchard Jr., James Pelletier, David Quimby, Ernest T. Chamberlin, Michael Lehey, Raymond Doucette, George Butler, Darrell Rouse, John Lajoie, Percy Drost, Cecil McDougal, Frederick Jamison, Charles Woods, Daniel Dube, Isacc Myers, Robert Boulier, Jack Wooten, Aras Johnson, Roberto Medeina, Gillman Bouley and Alfred Lamagge.
VFW Post 9389 members Lynwood Lloyd and Paul Walton placed small American flags in the memorial garden and gave salutes for each name.
Junior Miss Caribou 2022 Teagan Bryce waves to the crowd during the Memorial Day parade. (Melissa Lizotte | Aroostook Republican)
Members of the veterans organizations and Caribou’s Girl Scout Troop 192 placed memorial wreaths beside the garden for veterans, soldiers missing in action, prisoners of war and Gold Star mothers.
Junior Miss Fort Fairfield 2023 Brigid Schupbach (left), Little Miss Fort Fairfield 2023 Lillian Alice Tilmont and Miss Fort Fairfield 2023 Emma Kilcollins (right) wave during Caribou’s Memorial Day parade. (Melissa Lizotte | Aroostook Republican)
