Community Corner

Unionville Pays Tribute to Heroes

Community celebrates with Memorial Day parade, ceremony

Though the Farmington parade was canceled due to storms this morning, parade watchers lined the streets of Unionville, waving flags distributed by the Exchange Club and saluting both local and state heroes.

Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and firefighters marched, along with the town's Red Hat Club, the Farmington Town Council, and the school bands. An astonishing amount of candy was thrown and children scrambled into the streets to collect it, some coming away with bags, arms and hats full of treats.

The parade wound around the new ceremony site, the gazebo on Perry Street and much of the crowd followed to pay tribute to the fallen. Lorren Pogson, commander of VFW Post 1036 presided over the ceremony, beginning with memories shared from her own journal - from thoughts on 9-11 to nearing Iraq to memories of friends lost.

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Farmington High School students shared in the ceremony, singing the National Anthem and "America the Beautiful" as well as reading the Gettysburg Address, "In Flanders Fields" and "America's Response."

Town Council Chairman Mike Clark also spoke, quoting Nathan Hale and Ronald Reagan and asking that in this day of parades, picnics and family events, Americans "pause with respect and honor to remember those who fought, for those who gave their life, including the seven soldiers from Connecticut who died defending freedom in the past year and for those who willingly stand ready today to do the same..."

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Clark also said that as the town's veterans have aged, the VFW's numbers have dwindled. To carry on the post's work in town, he asked any veterans to call Post Commander Edgar King at 860-673-5887.


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