Honoring the fallen

Liam Hiller (right) and Jacob Mann (left) carried out a Memorial Day tribute by playing “Taps” on the Main Street Bridge, at Wurster Park, and at Oak Grove Cemetery on Monday.

Liam Hiller and his classmates in the Class of 2020 have heard a lot of things they “can’t” do this spring.

They couldn’t go back to school for their final days.

They couldn’t have a prom.

They had to postpone their graduation ceremonies.

There have been a lot of milestones this senior class has looked forward to, that they “can’t” do. But, one thing that Liam has anticipated has been being able to play “Taps” on Memorial Day as a senior.

Then the Memorial Day Parade was canceled due to the coronavirus.

Despite his disappointment, Liam said he originally got the idea to play “Taps” on the bridge “kind of on a whim” and was determined to carry it out.

Watch a video of the boys at Wurster Park.

“I have a good friend who is vested in the military,” he explains, “and my grandpa is also invested in the military. I realized that without a parade, no one was getting honored and I just didn’t want it to be that way.”

So, on Monday, Liam and his fellow band-mate Jacob Mann, a junior, showed up on the Main Street Bridge at 11 am to play “Taps” in honor of the military and the fallen on Memorial Day. They followed up by going to Wurster Park and Oak Grove Cemetery for repeat performances.

“I figured it wouldn’t put anyone in danger for us to go and do that as individuals,” he said. “I just want to honor those who have fallen for this country’s great goals.”

Despite COVID-19 and social distancing, despite being deprived of many of his senior year traditions, and despite there being no Memorial Day Parade this year, these two young men decided to carry on an important tradition in their community.

“I wanted to at least have a chance to remind people who we observe on this day,” Liam said.

At the bridge, at the park, and at the cemetery, Liam and Jacob proudly honored those who have served and those who had died in service.

“This is a tradition that has gone on longer than I have been alive,” Liam said in a brief speech before they started their tribute on the bridge. “This is the greatest country in the world; we are able to live here because people have been willing to die for the right to be free. And so we shall be.”

Photo courtesy of Mary Bortmas, Unforgettable Photos.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.