Everett held its annual Memorial Day ceremony at Glenwood Cemetery on May 25, in steady rain, and to the city’s credit people still showed up. Veterans, families, elected officials, and others gathered to remember the men and women who died in military service. For once, the weather wasn’t the story and neither was politics. That was a nice change of pace.
The ceremony was led by Director of Veterans Services Erika Corbeli, who gave the welcome remarks, introductions, and read the official proclamation. Corbeli put the day plainly and correctly: “While freedom is often spoken about in grand terms, today reminds us that freedom has always come at a human cost.”
She also gave the part that matters more than the usual boilerplate. “Behind every flag placed at a grave is a story,” Corbeli said. “A son. A daughter. A husband. A wife. A friend. A neighbor. Someone who was deeply loved and whose absence was deeply felt.” That is a better explanation of Memorial Day than most of the generic flag-waving people get fed this time of year.
Bishop Robert G. Brown delivered the invocation and benediction. Veterans Agent Gerri Miranda led the Pledge of Allegiance. School Committee member and Air Force veteran Millie Cardello conducted the Roll Call of Honor. State Rep. Joseph McGonagle also spoke on the meaning of the day.
The keynote address came from Everett Police Sgt. John Cristiano, who also serves as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army National Guard. That is the kind of detail worth noting because Memorial Day events can drift into abstraction fast. It helps when the people at the microphone have actually worn the uniform.
Mayor Robert Van Campen also spoke. His remarks stuck to the purpose of the day and avoided the usual urge to turn every public event into a campaign stop. “From the flags placed throughout our cemeteries to ceremonies like this, and to the veterans, families, students, and community members gathered here today, we ensure that those we lost will never become just a passing memory,” he said.
Van Campen added, “May we do more than look back with pride. Let us look forward with purpose. Let us recommit ourselves to the values for which these heroes gave everything: unity over division, service over self-interest, and hope over fear.” Fair enough. On Memorial Day, nobody needs a lecture. They need remembrance with some dignity. That appears to be what they got.
The city also recognized Gold Star families and veterans whose sacrifices did not end when their formal service did. After the program, attendees gathered for coffee and donuts and continued talking under gray skies.
There are plenty of public ceremonies that feel like a checklist item. This one sounds like it was handled the way it should be: short on theatrics, focused on the dead, and respectful of the families left carrying the weight. In local government, that counts as a success.