It remained empty, the POW/MIA chair, as it sat there in the silence, resting before the somber crowd. Behind it were the names of the honorable many, etched into eternity onto the memorial’s wall.

As a wreath was laid before them and the Train of Artillery fired off its cannon salute, Bristol was reminded once again during those early hours of the Memorial Day on Monday, May 27, of the brave and selfless sacrifices service men and women have made in the name of protecting their country.

In a ceremony and parade attended by local and state officials, active duty and retired military personnel and members of the community, this year’s Memorial Day services kicked off at 9:30 a.m. at the North Burial Ground. Setting the tone for the day’s events was Master of Ceremonies Joseph Diniz, secretary of the Bristol Veterans’ Council.

“Memorial Day is not about grief,” he told the dozens of gatherers at the gravesite. “It is about remembering our loved ones and ensuring their memory in the sacrifice they made for our freedom.”

Yet the sheer number of lives that have been lost while serving in that mission is jarring. According to guest speaker, ret. Master Sgt. Dennis Headrick, more than one million American soldiers were killed in just five conflicts, between World Wars I and II, Vietnam, Korea and the Civil War.

“May we never forget that freedom is not free,” he warned.

Despite the risk, ret. Master Sgt. Headrick said that if he could, he would be more than willing to repeat his 21 years of service in the U.S. Air Force all over again. While on active duty, the Bristol resident was deployed to Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, earning such honors as the Air Force Achievement Medal.

He was joined by two other distinguished members of the military, World War II Silver Star earner Ed Oliver and ret. third class petty officer Karl Antonevich. Acting as this year’s chief marshal, Mr. Antonevich served with the Navy aboard the USS America during the Vietnam War, before being honorably discharged in late 1973, earning such honors as the Good Combat Medal for his time of service.

Their respective efforts, in combination with those representing from the USS Coast Guard, Newport Naval Station, Marine Corps, Bristol Train of Artillery, and Bristol police and fire departments, were recognized by all of those attending the patriotic exercises ceremony, including Town Council Chairman Nathan Calouro. 

“We are the home of the free, because of the brave,” he revered.

It was a sentiment shared by the crowds of spectators lining Hope Street, as they all were joined by the Mt. Hope High School and St. Elizabeth’s bands and Girls and Boys Scouts of America in marching down to the Bristol War Veterans Honor Roll Garden. There, three students from Colt Andrews School — Millie Silvia, Nathan Carpenter and Kara Pisasale — read famous poems and speeches aloud to a sobered audience, all the while as the POW/MIA Chair sat vacant in the garden’s center.

Even as the sounds of the commemorating cannon fire faded away and the sun overhead rose higher, Mr. Diniz had just one last declaration for attendees to consider as they continued on their way:

“Because of today’s ceremony, this spirit will live on forever.”