Memorial Day ceremonies Monday

In the spirit of Paul “PJ” Johnston, a reinvigorated American Legion Post 119 based in Harvard and in cooperation with Harvard’s Office of Veterans’ Services, we invite you to witness the Memorial Day ceremonies to be conducted on May 26.

Parade commences at 10 a.m. from Town Hall parking lot.

The main speaker will be Karen M. Adams, former major in the U.S. Army and current resident of Harvard. Adams is a combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm and the recipient of the Bronze Star medal.

All veterans are invited to march, regardless of uniform availability.

Veterans willing to be in the parade and requiring ambulatory assistance, please contact Dennis Lyddy at 978-870-7623 to coordinate a seat in a parade vehicle.

To facilitate the parade route, kindly do not park and/or block both Ayer Road entrances to the Center Cemetery.

The parade route will proceed downhill from the Town Hall parking lot and bare left onto Fairbanks Street, right onto Old Littleton Road, left onto Ayer Road, and enter the Center Cemetery from Ayer Road.

American Legion Post 119

Dennis M. Lyddy

Cell: 978-870-7623

e-mail: purpleveteran03a@att.net

Timeline of Events

9 a.m. Assembly of parade participants at Harvard Town Hall

9:45 a.m. Line up of parade units at Town Hall

10 a.m. March of parade to Civil War monument

— Reading of General Order #11, May 5, 1868

— Placement of wreath at Civil War and “Taps”

10:20 a.m. March of parade to Town Center Cemetery

— Placement of a geranium at each veteran’s grave site by children

— Placement of wreath at Founders’ Flagpole and “Taps”

11 a.m. March of parade to Town Center Memorials

— Placement of wreaths at combined WWII, Korean and Vietnam War monument and “Taps”

11:20 a.m. March of parade to Town Center Flagpole

— Placement of wreath at World War I monument and “Taps”

— National Anthem with concurrent raising of U.S. Flag

— Keynote address

— Tolling of the bell with reading of veterans passed since last Memorial Day

12:05 p.m. Parade units released at Center Flagpole

12:15 p.m. Reassembly of parade at Still River Post Office

— Placement of wreath at CPL Skillings Memorial and “Taps”

12:45 p.m. Reassembly at Bellevue Cemetery

— March of parade using inside loop

— Placement of wreath at Bellevue Cemetery Flagpole and “Taps”

— Placement of a geranium at each veteran’s grave site by children

Placement of wreaths

— Poor Hill Road, Stewart grave

— Shaker Cemetery