Pine Plains Honors the Fallen at Annual Memorial Day Parade

Trish Grassi sat with her sister Marjean and Marjean’s husband, Eddie Cahill, on their grandfather’s stoop in Pine Plains, just as they had every Memorial Day for the last 40 years, watching the parade pass them by. The house at 22 North Main St. has been in their family for generations. Hometown hero banners waving above the street pay tribute to three of those family members: their grandfather Roy W. Pulver (World War I), their father, Abondio “Tony” Grassi (World War II), and Cahill, a Vietnam War veteran.

For Cahill, the annual parade holds a profound significance. “It’s about celebrating memories of my comrades,” he said, “especially the ones that never made it back.”

The parade, a local tradition, began at the Pine Plains Volunteer Fire Station and wound its way through town, making stops at the Wilber Memorial Clock Tower and Evergreen Cemetery. Along the route, spectators, including out-of-town visitors, lined the streets. Among them was Ilona Isaacs, a tourist from North Carolina, who found the event moving. “It’s a really wonderful way to celebrate the holiday,” she said. 

In front of the clock tower and Wall of Honor, American Legion chaplain George Keeler delivered a poignant address. “We take care of those who made it home. The other part of that promise is to support the families of those who didn’t,” he said. “For them and us, Memorial Day is not the end of a three-day weekend, but a somber moment to reflect on the steep price paid for our freedoms. The American Legion and the VFW will never forget.”

Town Supervisor Brian Walsh also addressed the crowd. “Today is a day of remembrance, for all military services,” he said. “The ones still with us, and the ones we have lost. I ask you to be thankful. Freedom is not free. These men and women put their lives on the line so you can have the freedom to do your everyday activities.” He noted the 93 hometown hero banners in Pine Plains, thanking Robert Clinch and Gregg Pulver for spearheading the effort to honor veterans: “I say one thing to all members of the military service in front of me. Thank you for your service, it will never be forgotten.”

The post commander of the local American Legion, Marie Stewart, George Keeler’s daughter, shared a heartfelt sentiment as flowers were laid at the base of the military monument adjacent to the clock tower. “These flowers may wither but the spirit in which they are given will endure until the end of time,” she said.

Rosalie Cade and Brianna Blackburn sang the national anthem. The ceremony also highlighted a program that seeks funding to honor deceased Pine Plains veterans with markers at their graves. “Service members whose home of record is Pine Plains are eligible for the program, and applications are available at the town hall,” Stewart said. There will also be a fundraiser on June 22 at the firehouse to raise money for the program. 

The parade made its way to Evergreen Cemetery, where a memorial service was held in honor of fallen service members. The event concluded at the American Legion post, after which attendees returned to their everyday lives and their freedoms.