A grateful town remembered its deceased veterans Monday, May 27 at the annual Memorial Day observances, held this year in West Acton under a cloudy sky. A parade composed of Scouts, the Acton-Boxborough Marching Band, and a vintage fire truck, left from Spruce Street, and then headed down Massachusetts and Windsor Avenues, to the Mt. Hope Cemetery off Central Street, where the main ceremony was held.
In his speech, Acton-Boxborough’s Veterans’ Agent James MacRae said, “I’m sure many of you have loved ones laid to rest here. Each of these graves is a life lived. Each one of these flags you see at the graves represents years of service to our country. Both of my grandfathers served in the Navy during World War 2, Joseph McKee and Charles MacRae. Charles MacRae was also the town clerk in Acton from the 1950’s through the 80’s. Both of them are laid to rest here at Mt Hope Cemetery. That’s just two flags out of hundreds in this cemetery alone.”
MacRae introduced Parade Grand Marshall, Vietnam War veteran Dolan Geneau. He said that Mr. Geneau taught woodworking to special needs students in Worcester for forty years and is now a self-employed handyman and drives the Boxborough Council on Aging van two days a week. Mr. Geneau remembered dear friends he served with in 1967, one of whom tragically died in action. He also paid tribute to his wife of fifty-four years, Sandra, and their children and grandchildren. Following his remarks, MacRae presented Mr. Geneau with a personally-engraved flag case.
Select Board Members Dean Charter and David Martin then read a list of Acton service persons who had passed since last year, followed by the traditional “Taps,” played by one bugler and echoed from afar by another. The parade then reassembled, and followed Central Street to West Acton Village, the audience along the way enjoying the band’s patriotic tunes. A shorter ceremony was held in West Acton. Select Board Member Fran Arsenault closed with a benediction and thanked all participants.
James Conboy is a frequent contributor to the Acton Exchange.
