There were a number of Memorial Day parades and ceremonies on Monday throughout the region and that included activities in the Village of Fairport.
It was a time for both reflection and celebration.
The parade was traditional, including a marching band, local veterans and first responders, although it was a bit shorter than usual due to road work in the area.
The mood changed when the parade ended and everyone gathered at the memorial to Fairport soldiers in Potter Park.
Eric Harrison is Commander of VFW Post 8495, and he told the crowd of veterans and other Fairport residents to remember those who were willing to lay down their lives for something greater than themselves.
The best way we can honor them is to remember them,” Harrison said. “Not just as soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, but as individuals. We say their names and we tell their stories. We keep their memories alive.”
Past commander of the Fairport VFW post, Mike Cialini told the crowd it’s important to remember that sacrifice. But he added that Memorial Day is not just a day for quiet reflection.
Once we have paid tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedoms, just like we are doing here today, we should gather with family and friends,” Cialini said. “We should share barbecues, have get-togethers, and enjoy each other’s company. For if we do not celebrate our freedom and enjoy it together, then what did our heroes give their lives for.”
The Fairport activities included a solemn ceremony at Potter Park where an American flag that has flown over the VFW post’s ‘Freedom Hill,’ an area near the VFW dedicated to preserving memories of Fairport veterans, was presented to Perinton Supervisor Ciaran Hanna.
Among the veterans attending the parade and the ceremony wasRoy Johnson, a Vietnam Veteran, who hopes that besides enjoying the day and get-togethers with family and friends, people will also pause and think about what has kept their country free.
“I also think that we have to pause and think about what a great country we live in,” said Johnson. “ A lot of people don't understand that we have our problems, we always will have our problems, but what we stand for and why we're here and why we fight for it, I think people have to remember that.”
Johnson also credited his fellow Vietnam Veterans for being supportive of each other, especially right after the war, as they tried to assimilate back into civilian society.
