For some, it was about honoring the nation's fallen heroes, members of the Armed Forces who paid the ultimate sacrifice by dying for their country. For others, it was about honoring all veterans, the men and women in uniform who have protected and served their country at home and abroad.
And yet for others, it was a family affair: Wilbraham residents Donna and Steven Roberts attended Monday's Memorial Day Mass at St. Michael's Cemetery to watch their son Jake play taps before a crowd of nearly 300 people.
"I'm the very proud mom. He was fabulous," Donna Roberts said of her son, 14, a trumpeter and history buff who attends Wilbraham Middle School.
For Steven Roberts, it was about showing support for his son's love of history. "I love it when he does things like this," Steven said of Jake, a Civil War enthusiast who has played at other big events, including a Springfield City Hall ceremony last year.
"Yes, I was nervous," admitted Jake, who sounded all the right notes of taps, the plaintive song of remembrance that's traditionally played at military funerals andMemorial Day ceremonies.
The veterans in attendance saluted, while most of the civilians either held their right hands over their hearts or bowed their heads as the solemn song reverberated throughout the cemetery.
Rev. Monsignor Christopher D. Connelly celebrated the open-air Mass outside St. Michael's mausoleum, asking the faithful to pray for all military veterans, past and present. "Pray for our brothers and sisters who served our country so that we may enjoy the blessings of freedom," Connelly told the crowd. The monsignor was assisted by Deacon Leo E. Coughlin.
