Memorial Day 2021 turned out to be a great day! Mother Nature knew we needed this parade in the community and made a break in the rain to ensure we could pay our appropriate respects to our fallen heroes without the need for foul weather gear! I want to thank again Rear Admiral Howard for being our grand marshal. What an honor for us. He and his family flew in from Coronado, California on Friday and had to get back to Coronado on Sunday afternoon. Leading the nations over 10,000 Navy Special Operators doesn't give him the opportunity to take too much time off. But, he will be back for the 4th of July and he plans on joining us for the breakfast that Sunday. Our Boothbay Harbor Coast Guard Station provided the color guard. What you don't know is that three of the four Coasties were cadets from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The color guard was led by MK3 Aiden Lance and the cadets were Brian Green, Grason Gilvar, and Sully Gholson. The band was really awesome! You would never know that they only had the ability to practice once just before the parade due to COVID-19 restrictions. This year for the first time (but not the last), Doug Gimbel sang the national anthem at several of our memorial locations. What an amazing voice, just making me want to stand just a little taller in honor of this great nation! The parade started at the Newagen end of Southport at 0830 and ended at Edgecomb. The predicted times provided for each of the parades in between were not realistic. Next year we will ensure folks aren't waiting over an hour for the parade to start.

Many did join us for the barbecue after the parade! Our Auxiliary did a great job decorating the Hall and providing all the food that was enjoyed by over 70 parade participants and their families. And thanks to our Post member Ed Harmon for doing the hamburger flipping!

This Sunday, June 13 at 2 p.m. will be the Flag Disposal Ceremony. Our national flag is a sacred symbol of this great nation. We all care for it properly, we fly it properly, we fold it properly, and we dispose of it properly by giving to the Legion. The Flag Disposal Ceremony captures the importance of the flag and what it represents to us all. You will come away from the ceremony with a new appreciation for why the flag is so important to all of us. So, please join us at the Hall this Sunday at 2.

The Yard Sale returns this year on Saturday, Aug, 7. We will once again be selling 10-foot by 20-foot spaces in the Legion yard for $20 and a table can be provided for an additional $5. To reserve a space, call the Hall at 633-4487.

The next Legion meeting is June 14. Hot dogs/hamburgers at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 6.