Maine Veterans
Memorial Day parade in Ashland in 1943. Photo: Library of Congress.
From the state’s largest cities to its smallest towns, bronze statues and plaques, granite obelisks, historic battlefield flags, and engraved memorials stand outside town halls, on village greens, in parks, and beside community buildings, honoring the Mainers who have served their country.
These memorials grew from the efforts of everyday Mainers. The profound losses communities endured during the Civil War fueled a culture of remembrance expressed in everything from keepsake jewelry woven from a loved one’s hair to granite monuments bearing the names of neighbors who had served. Veterans’ organizations, civic groups, and local residents raised funds, organized Memorial Day observances, and created lasting places where communities could honor and remember their own.
While the outpouring of grief following the Civil War was unprecedented, the traditions remain an important part of civic life in Maine today. In the spring and fall, Scouts place and retire American flags at the graves of veterans in cemeteries all over the state; strangers serve as pallbearers for veterans who die alone; and a new memorial is erected in Warren to 22 forgotten African-American men and boys who had served their country from the American Revolutionary War through the Korean War.
Author: Stephanie Bouchard
