Despite rainy weather threatening to dampen the day, Orange County residents proudly marched through their streets on Monday, May 27 during Memorial Day, a time to remember veterans who lost their lives fighting for American freedoms.

The Town of Crawford’s parade lined up at Crispell Middle School at 77 Maple Avenue and took off at 9 a.m., winding through Main Street in Pine Bush before reaching the town park at 19 Red Mills Road. Once everyone arrived at the park, the town commenced a rededication ceremony for its veterans monument, now completed after months of work by the community and local veterans.

“We announced a couple of years ago that we were going to redo the veterans monument, and as you can see, it’s done,” said Dominick Blasko, chief of Crawford’s police department, who spoke throughout the ceremony. “There’s a lot of people that are going to be thanked because they all worked together. But really, it’s our community that came together and helped out, and we really appreciate that.”

“Today, we are going to rededicate our new monument that’s right over there. This is about showing deep respect for those who gave their lives so we can live on,” said Dan D’ambrozio, a veteran and American Legion member who played a major role in the monument’s completion. “The monument is also a reminder of the brave men and women that protect our way of life and the importance of continuing to fight for those ideas.”

Montgomery residents kicked off Memorial Day weekend last Thursday, May 23 at 6 p.m. in St. Mary’s Cemetery, where volunteers placed flags on hundreds of veteran plots. After an hour and a half of scouring every tombstone under the scorching sun, the group dotted the cemetery with brilliant hues of red, white, and blue, honoring those who sacrificed their lives for their country.

Flash forward to last Monday and the village’s parade began marching at 11 a.m. through Clinton and Bridge Street until it reached the Veterans Memorial Park. The crowd gathered in the Montgomery Senior Center, where participants enjoyed refreshments and listened to Grady Schenck and Bob Scoonmaker, members of American Legion Post 521.

“It warms my heart to see so many of us gathered here today, not only to honor those who gave their lives but more importantly to celebrate that gift to their community,” Schenck said, who thanked everyone for making this ceremony possible. “Your presence here sets an example for your children, your neighbors, and anyone who lives in Montgomery. Communities are built on the efforts of people like you and me, citizens willing to join with others committing the time and effort to a moment of reverence.”

“I would love to be able to grab this microphone and come down among you, asking all of you to share your favorite day of the year to celebrate, but that would take quite some time,” said Scoonmaker, who explained the significance of the words “celebrate” and “commemorate.” “I’m going to take the liberty of sharing with you my favorite day of the year: August 1, my birthday. The reason I chose that date is because I was blessed to be born to a mother and father who loved me, cared for me, taught me wrong from right, and directed me onto the right path.”