Springfield honors its fallen military members for Memorial Day

Gumersindo Gomez Sr., executive director of Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Mass Inc., speaks at the Memorial Day ceremony.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen

SPRINGFIELD — A massive American flag, tied aloft on the ladders of two fire trucks, flapped in the wind over the steps of Springfield City Hall for the Memorial Day ceremony on May 22.

In front of it, city, state and national officials stood at a podium to address the dozens of people gathered.

“No one can match the freedoms that we have in the United States,” declared Veterans Services Director Joseph DeCaro. Mayor Domenic Sarno, who stepped to the microphone to present a proclamation from the city, echoed DeCaro’s sentiment, saying, “America is a beacon of hope, strength.”

Alongside Sarno and DeCaro, stood U.S. Rep. Richard U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, U.S. Sen Ed Markey’s Regional Director Jesse Lederman, state Sens. Adam Gomez and Jake Oliveira, state Reps. Carlos Gonzalez, Orlando Ramos and Brian Ashe, Ward 7 City Councilor Gerry Martin, Ward 8 City Councilor Zaida Govan, School Committee member Ayanna Crawford and Fire Commissioner BJ Calvi and Rev. Donald Luster of Bethel AME Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Memorial Day is set aside to remember members of the military who died in service to the country. Neal said Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was when Confederate widows laid flowers on the graves of their loved ones. After the war, the practice was adopted by people across the country and has been observed since 1868.

Neal quoted Lincoln, who called for unification during his second inaugural address, saying, “With malice toward none, and with charity for all.” Lincoln’s words signaled that all would be forgiven after the war, no matter which side people fought for, Neal said, adding, “We can never be divided on Memorial Day.” Neal, who was once Springfield’s mayor, said, “This city, like every city in America, offered up its greatest.”

Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris told the crowd that she wanted to honor the women killed in combat. She said 3 million women have served since the American Revolution. “Think about the women, think about the families, think about each other,” she said.
Sarno spoke about the impact felt by the families of people who never came back from serving in the military. “That chair at the kitchen table is empty at the holidays. It’s empty every day,” he said.

“We got liberties, but it took thousands of men and women to give us that right, to give us that freedom,” Sgt. Gumersindo Gomez Sr., executive director of Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Mass Inc. said. Tearing up, he recalled friends he served with who were there one day and gone the next. He said they had no idea it would be their last day. Commenting on the way people celebrate Memorial Day with cookouts and gatherings, rather than remembering people, Gomez said, “We celebrate this weekend and we have joy… not even realizing who gave us that right.” He wiped tears from his eyes as he stepped away from the podium.

Dignitaries carried wreaths across the street and laid one at each of the memorials the city has erected to honor war veterans, from World War I to World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. DeCaro said money is being raised to fund a memorial to those lost in the Global War on Terror. After taking a moment to salute at each memorial, the crowd silently listened to the sound of a lone bugle as Springfield Police Officer Richard McNabb sounded taps and the Springfield Police fired a three-volley salute.