Volunteers Sought for Placing Flags at Veterans’ Gravesites
Medford’s traditional Memorial Day Ceremony at Oak Grove Cemetery will return for 2021.
Residents invited (250 attendee limit) with social distancing measures, masks required. Ceremony will also be recorded and aired on Medford Community Media
Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and Veterans Services Director Michael Durham announce that Medford’s traditional Memorial Day Ceremony at Oak Grove Cemetery will take place on Monday, May 31st, and residents are invited to attend. The ceremony will begin at 10am. Due to ongoing gathering limits set by Governor Baker, no more than 250 people can gather at one time at the event. Social distancing measures will be in place for attendees.
For those not able to attend or who may not be comfortable the ceremony in person, it will be aired on Medford Community Media Monday afternoon.
In 2020, the annual ceremony had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 ceremony will mark the first larger event the City has hosted since the onset of the pandemic, thanks to vaccine availability, reduced positive cases of COVID-19 in Medford, and loosening restrictions statewide.
“I am excited and honored that we are able to honor our Veterans with a full ceremony this Memorial Day. To be able to honor those individuals who give their lives to protect our freedom and serve our country is so important – not just on Memorial but every day. Being able to come together as a community on this day of remembrance is truly special, and I hope Medford community members will join us for this special ceremony.” said Mayor Lungo-Koehn.
“The residents of Medford have been marking our cemetery for Memorial Day every year since 1868 to remember, and celebrate, those who sacrificed to secure our freedom. I invite everyone who would like to come to attend our Memorial Day ceremony at Oak Grove Cemetery this year. That way we can remember the fallen, remember their cause, and show the families they left behind that their sacrifice is valued in our community,” said Michael Durham.
Residents are invited to attend the Memorial Day Ceremony on May 31st but will be asked to observe social distancing and wear a mask while attending the ceremony. City staff will be available with hand sanitizer and to assist with attendees’ questions during the ceremony.
Volunteers Sought for Placing Flags at Veterans’ Graves
In advance of Memorial Day, American Legion Post 45 will decorate Veterans’ gravesites with more than 8,500 American Flags. American Legion is seeking volunteers to assist with posting flags on Saturday, May 15th, and Saturday, May 22nd, beginning at 9am. Interested volunteers can fill out this form to sign up: https://tinyurl.com/ybftvan9, or contact Sean Fitzpatrick at 978-398-3624 or John Granara at 781-983-6931.
Medford city services are available to all residents, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, age, language ability, economic situation, or immigration status.
