For the first time in over 20 years I stayed home and participated in all the events that make up Memorial Day in Hastings. The Hastings VFW Post holds services at three cemeteries and the Memorial located in downtown Hastings. I left the house around 8 a.m. and was back a little after noon. In the past I either marched in the parade, or covered services in the northern part of the county for the various newspapers.
As I started out on my endeavor to photograph the whole day's activities, I stopped at St. Bernard's Cemetery, about a mile down the road, and shot this photograph of my friend Gordy Fredo placing a votive candle on a grave site.
From St. Bernard's I drove into Hastings to get a shot of the War Memorial on Beaver Street before the morning's activities got started.
Rather than use a lot of words to explain what the viewer is seeing in each of the following photographs I'm just going to let the photographs tell their own story. The first of the morning's memorial services was held at St. Boniface Cemetery just north of Hastings, in Elder Township.
After returning to the VFW for a quick lighting of the smoking lamp and head call, the troops re-formed for the parade through Hastings to St. Bernard's Cemetery for the third memorial service of the morning.
The final service was held at the War Memorial in downtown Hastings.
At the conclusion of the morning's memorial services, the Ladies Auxiliary of the Hastings VFW Post 1536 treated the veterans to a sitdown meal with all the fixin's.
2 comments:
Mr. Doll,
I just learned of your web site, and am truly impressed with your coverage of the Hastings Memorial Day festivites. I have never gone down town for it in the past (I have been here for 5 years and just learning of what happens here). I will be attending in the years to come. Thank you for the inspiration. Eva Beltowski (Andy's wife)
I love all your photos, but I especially love the ones of Hastings. I enjoy these ones so much because I have family in Pennsylvania and when I look at them it is like I am right back in Hastings! The Memorial Day ones are especially special because it is the one time during the year that we always go to Hastings and also because my great-grandpa was a veteran who passed away in June of 2010 so they simply help to remember him and all he did.
Post a Comment