Bristol Plans Annual Memorial Day Parade

BRISTOL — This community will observe Memorial Day on Monday May 28 with a traditional parade which starts oragnizing at 9:15 a.m. in the east parking lot at Freudenburg NOK. The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. and march to the Homeland Cemetery and stop at the flagpole for a short ceremony at which a wreath is laid on a bench in memory of those who have served.

The combined middle and high school bands will play music selections. There will be a firing detail followed by taps and echo.

The procession will continue down Rte. 104 to take a right onto 3-A and proceed toward Central Square. At approximately 9:50 a.m. there will be a welcoming, prayer, a few words of introduction, and then the main speaker, who is this year's winner of the Voice of Democracy contest. Each year the Veterans of Foreign Wars sponsors an essay audio competition for high school aged students. This year's theme is on the topic, "Is there pride in serving in the military?" This speech will be followed by selections played by the bands.

A contingent of veterans will break off and march to the bridge spanning the rushing Newfound River. There, the veterans will toss a wreath into the water to symbolize those lost at sea. This will be followed by a gun volley, taps and echo. The veterans will regroup and march to Legion Hall where there will be a bus to transport participants back to the east parking

lot at Freudenburg.

Also this year there will be a ceremony at the NH State Veterans Cemetery at Boscawen on May 30 the traditional Memorial Day. This service begins at 11 a.m. and is co-sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and by the cemetery. This year's speaker will be the newly promoted General Corey, Fire Brigade Commander, who returned from Iraq last Fall.