Noting that June 6 will mark the 81st anniversary of the Allied Forces’ invasion of Normandy during World War II, Brig. Gen. Mark Kalin asked residents during a Memorial Day ceremony in Greenfield on Monday to never forget the sacrifices of U.S. service members.

“As we prepare to commemorate the 81st anniversary of D-Day in just over a week, let us remember that the remaining survivors of this battle and World War II, some of whom were just teenagers at the time, are all now approaching or have surpassed 100 years old,” Kalin said at the ceremony at the Veterans Mall. “Their bravery and heroism displayed on the beaches of Normandy is unmatched. Their selfless desire to serve and willingness to sacrifice their lives to defend America and ensure a free world is a debt we can never repay. On this Memorial Day, we honor all service members who have lost their lives, but this year, let’s keep our World War II veterans in our hearts and minds.”

Across the region, crowds of veterans and residents alike gathered Monday morning to pay their respects to the men and women who died serving in the United States military.

In Greenfield, people lined Federal Street as a parade, led by the Greenfield Police Color Guard and comprising veterans, the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Brownie Scouts and Greenfield High School Band, made its way from Greenfield Middle School to Veterans Mall for the ceremony.

As the parade moved through the city, it stopped first at the Federal Street Cemetery, where veterans laid a remembrance wreath and saluted to fallen service men and women as GHS Band members performed “Taps,” a military bugle call played to signal “lights out.”

The procession later stopped at the Mexican-American war statue in front of the Leavitt-Hovey House for another wreath presentation before it made its way to Veterans Hall. There, Vietnam-era veterans Bill Phelps and Dennis Dwyer rendered a slow salute after laying a wreath in front of the Vietnam War memorial as a final performance of “Taps” cut through an otherwise silent moment.

Erin Anhalt, chief of staff for Mayor Ginny Desorgher, spoke of her 22-year marriage to a U.S. Navy member, and how it opened her eyes to the close bonds military members and their families share, especially in times of tragedy.

She also made note of service members, including one of her family members, who lost their lives to post-traumatic stress disorder after coming home from combat.

“It is the type of community that stays with you. Even as a spouse, service is essential to what we do today,” Anhalt said. “We understand the issues of war and peace better than just about anybody in this community. Wars aren’t just images on television. We know the people in the caravans driving into Iraq. We know the sailors who are on the aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf, and we feel each and every loss deeply because they are our friends and our family.”

Hat ‘n Socks Parade

In Buckland, The Mary Lyon Church led its annual Hat ‘n Socks Parade at 8 a.m., starting on Upper Street. The parade, marching to the beat of the Shelburne Falls Military Band, made its way toward the town cemeteries. There, veterans Jason Jarvis, Greg Zagrobski and Robert March fired off a rifle salute.

The parade then looped around the church and ended at the veterans memorial in front of the Buckland Historical Museum, where Kevin Hollister sang a rendition of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and Avery Dupree sang “America the Beautiful” before reciting a poem her grandfather, a World War II veteran, wrote about his service during the war, “My Old Tin Hat.”

Larry Langford, a Vietnam-era veteran and Buckland Finance Committee chair, paid homage to the men and women who have died in combat, noting that war, and mourning those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, has been carried down through generations.

“My father mourned the loss and honored the memory of his friends in World War II and in Korea. I mourn the loss and honor the memory of my classmates and friends who died in Vietnam. My children’s generation mourns the loss and honors the memory of soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each generation is joined together on this day of remembrance as we honor and mourn,” Langford said. “As we stand here, there are soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines on stations prepared to defend our nation. To all of them and to all who have gone before them, we say on this day, ‘thank you.’”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.