On a cold and windy Veterans Day in November 2010, the Boothbay Region Garden Club dedicated a Blue Star Memorial Marker in Boothbay Harbor.  Each year a new wreath is placed on the marker to honor all the veterans in our community – your grandparent, mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, your best friend, or maybe your child – who have served or are serving  our country in the United States Military.

Blue Star Memorial Markers and Blue Star Memorial Highway Markers are located throughout the United States and are a project of the National Garden Clubs Inc.  The program has been in existence since the early 1950s.  It was the idea of a group of community minded women who began the project in the late 1940s who wanted to honor military men and women returning from World War II.

The main goal of the program today is to honor and recognize all the members of the United States military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard or the National Guard. These veterans have stood and are still standing in our place to protect the many freedoms we enjoy and often take for granted.

It is the hope that our own Blue Star Memorial Marker by Boothbay Region High School will be a reminder to all our friends and neighbors of the sacrifices our military members and their families make on our behalf.  

We know freedom is not free and that there are many in our community that have served and are serving to pay to keep our country free.  We wish to thank each and every one of them.   

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, please join  members of the Boothbay Region Garden Club when a wreath will be placed on the Blue Star Memorial Marker in honor of all United States military members ... past, present and future.