Memorial Day in Camden: ‘This day is sacred’

Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - 10:22 am

CAMDEN — The annual Memorial Day parade through Camden is a long one for those who walk it from the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Camden Street to Mt. View Cemetery on Mountain Street. But the effort of the trek by the Little League players, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the color guard, the Camden Hills Regional High School band players and all of the others is appreciated by those who line the streets and cheer them on with American flags and words of encouragement and thanks.

That feeling of appreciation and reverence was shared Monday morning, May 25, at various points along the parade route, including stops to pay homage at the Conway Monument, the Village Green and Harbor Park. At the final stop — Mt. Cemetery — where the graves of veterans had a couple days earlier been decorated with flags and medallions, members of Camden American Legion Post 30 awaited the procession.

One Camden resident who was waiting for the parade to pass by was Mildred “Millie” Crocker. Her husband, Hobart Nathaniel “Hobie” Crocker Jr., was underage when he entered the U.S. Army.

“He lied about his age,” said Millie. “He was a little over 16 when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps for World War II. He flew with the Air Force Strategic Air Command.”

Millie stood along the Mt. View Cemetery fence, holding up a photograph of her husband, who died a couple of days after 9/11.

“It was a second marriage for both of us, and we were married in 1976,” said Millie, adding that she was proud of his service to his country.

The color guard led the procession into the cemetery, and included Sandy Lyle-U.S. Coast Guard, Rosey Gerry-U.S. Air Force, Mark Thurlow-U.S. Army, Owen Cassas-U.S. Marine Corp, Rodney Lynch-U.S. Navy, John Hysong-U.S. Army, Everette Fizer-U.S. Navy and Jerry Grover-U.S. Air Force.

They were followed by the CHRHS band, under the direction of band director Nancy Rowe.

American Legion District 6 Commander for Knox County Ray Lewis welcomed the crowd, and said he was also a “proud member” of War Memorial Post 30 in Camden.

“This day is sacred, with an almost visible presence of those who have gone before us,” said Lewis. “We honor the memory of those who gave their lives in the service of our country, and of those others who have dropped their burdens by the wayside of life, and are gone to their eternal rest. May the ceremonies of today deepen our reverence for our departed friends and comrades. Let us renew our pledge of loyalty to our country, and to its flag. Let us resolve by word and deed to emphasize the privilege and duty of patriotism.”

The Rev. Roy Rodan, a Vietnam veteran, member of War Memorial Post 30 and pastor of Destiny Eastgate Ministries in Lincolnville, said the prayers at Mt. View Cemetery, as well as at the waterfront ceremony at the Public Landing before the parade commenced through town.

Following the welcome prayer, the color guard presented arms and the band played the national anthem. The guest speaker was Rodney C. Lynch, retired master chief petty officer with the U.S. Navy and a Camden native.

“On this Memorial Day, May 25, 2015, we are gathered at the Mountain View Cemetery for the purpose of remembering, honoring and preserving the memory of those ordinary Camden men and women who have served their time and given their all in the myriad of U.S. military wars, conflicts and engagements too numerous to count,” said Lynch.

“This Memorial Day 2015 is also the anniversary of America's foremost costly wars in terms of killed or wounded on the battlefield, or died or injured from diseases, accidents and friendly fire,” he said.

Lynch went on to list the country’s four costliest wars, in order, including the Civil War, World War II, World War I and the Vietnam War.

He said those four wars were also “transgenerational” for Camden, and the Midcoast.

“The same family names often show up on the rosters on those serving in two, three or even four wars,” said Lynch.

Regaling with pride through a list, Lynch first named the Ogiers as having served in the Civil War and both World Wars, and “my old friend Sgt. Robert Ogier” who served with the Army 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam.

Then there were the Youngs, with retired Army Master Sgt. James Young serving in Vietnam; the Andersons, with Billy Anderson serving in Vietnam; the Nuccios, whose early members served in both World wars with Camden High School graduate and Vietnam veteran Antonio “Tony” Nuccio; the McGraths, with Lynch’s classmate Thomas McGrath having showed up on the list of Vietnam veterans.

“Numerous Moodys served in World War II and Vietnam, including former town manager Roger Moody, who was a lieutenant in Vietnam,” said Lynch. “All of the wars record the names of Calderwoods, including former town attorney Terry Calderwood, for the Vietnam war, and let us not forget the many Ameses who served in the Civil War to World War II, including World War I.”

In summary, he said, that was just a sampling of some of the families and generations from Camden that have served in America's “most costly wars, that we are remembering and reflecting on in 2015.”

Prior to the closing prayer, playing of taps and the conclusion of the 2015 Memorial Day service in Camden, Korean War veteran Don Frye, also a War Memorial Post 30 past commander, placed a wreath upon a cannon monument in the cemetery, aided by Post 30 Adjutant Jeff Sukeforth and Post 30 Commander Ray Lewis.