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Burlington’s Memorial Day Ceremony Program

Join fellow members of the Burlington community, town officials, public safety officers and veterans to honor those men and women of the armed services who gave their lives in the defense of our country.

 

Burlington’s 2016 Memorial Day ceremonies, Hosted by the Town of Burlington’s Veteran Service Office & the Allied Veterans Council, will take place on Monday, May 29. The first ceremony will begin at 8 a.m. on the Town Common at the flag poles across the street from the fire station.

 

The longer ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at Chestnut Hill Cemetery. If the weather turns bad the ceremony will be held at the same time in the wooden gym at Burlington High School.

 

The guest speaker this year will be Arthur MacDonald, a veteran of the United States Army, assigned as a Signals Intelligence Analyst and was deployed to Southeast Asia multiple times throughout the 1960’s.

 

Arthur MacDonald and his wife have been decade’s long citizens of Burlington, raising their three children here, including the late Lance Corporal Gregory MacDonald. Gregory was a graduate of BHS and went on to earn his master’s degree in Philosophy and Near East Policy at American University, Washington D.C. in 2001.

 

LCpl MacDonald joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves in 1999 and was a member of Bravo Company, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion out of Ft. Detrick in Frederick MD. LCpl MacDonald’s unit was activated in February of 2003 and attached to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. His unit deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. LCpl MacDonald was killed in action on June 25th 2003.

 

Arthur MacDonald has been an extremely active member in the community. Since Gregory’s passing, Mr. MacDonald has dedicated countless hours of his time to raise awareness and funds to help families deal with the passing of fallen service members. Mr. MacDonald works very closely with Gina Johnson, sketch artist and founder of “Operation Home Ties”, who has created hand sketched portraits of every Massachusetts service member killed in action since 9/11, as a memorial to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. He is a member of the Disabled American Veterans and the American Legion, serving meals regularly at both the VA Hospital in Bedford, and the Veterans Clinic in Lowell.

 

 

The ceremony will also feature music by the Burlington High School Marching Band and bagpiper Joe McGrath. Chaplain Mark Murphy will provide the invocation and Closing Prayer. The opening remarks will be given by Burlington Director of Veterans Services Chris Hanafin.