By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

For many people, Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer. What I fear often gets lost is the true meaning of the holiday – that Memorial Day is for just that: memorializing the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We must not forget that it’s a sacred day of remembrance. In Somerville, we honor all members of our Armed Forces during Memorial Week and through a number of ceremonies that memorialize our fallen heroes and celebrate our Veterans.

This year as we approach Memorial Day, I hope you have the opportunity to spend time with family and friends. But I also ask that you take time to pause and think about those families mourning the loss of a loved one who gave their own life fighting for ours.

Each Memorial Day, flags are displayed at the graves of the men and women who made that sacrifice for our freedom. Gold Star families honor their lost loved ones and commemorative ceremonies are held around the country. The stories, losses, and bravery of our heroes provide the freedoms and safety Americans enjoy every day. Many of those heroes are from right here in Somerville.

In fact, this past weekend we honored some of them at the Heroes Salute ceremony. Among those recognized were this year’s Heroes Square dedications in memory of PFC Alfred J. Byrne (WWII/Killed in Service), PFC James V. Parziale (Korea/Killed In Action), and SP4 Robert J. Waters, a Purple Heart recipient for injuries sustained in battle during the Vietnam conflict. We also honored former Somerville Alderman and Director of Veterans’ Services, 1Lt Walter Pero for a lifetime of service to the City, the Commonwealth and the Nation.

We also awarded the Profile in Courage Lifetime Achievement Award to Medal of Honor Recipient Captain Thomas G. Kelley of the United States Navy. Captain Kelley continued to serve his fellow Veterans as Secretary of Veterans’ Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each year the Profile in Courage is presented to a Veteran who has distinguished themselves above and beyond the call of duty as a member of the armed forces and returned home to continue the mission of service, and we are proud to have honored Captain Kelley this year for all of his incredible service to our city and our country.

Somerville residents have answered the call of duty and service time and time again. We should all be incredibly proud of our heroes and eternally grateful for what they’ve given up for us, just as we should be proud and grateful to be a part of a community that honors, respects, and serves the men and women who protect our country, fight for our liberties, and fight for the freedom of others.

While the spirit of Memorial Day shouldn’t be reserved for just one day of the year, it is a special day – a day where people from around the country can pause, reflect, honor, and remember our service members’ sacrifices. Whether it’s a silent moment of reflection, visiting a memorial wall, or simply thanking a Veteran for his or her service, I hope you’ll join me this year in emphasizing the ‘memorial’ in Memorial Day.

All were  invited to attend the 2018 Honor and Remembrance Ceremony, which was held on Wednesday, May 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery. During the ceremony, the names of the 69 heroes buried in the cemetery are called and a flag is placed by each grave.