Litchfield Marches Forward despite Downed Power Lines and Bad Weather
June 2, 2017
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- Staff photo by Len Lathrop Matt McQuesten starts this year‘s parade with a decorated horse-drawn carriage. Riding with Matt is Destiny Prunier. Please note that the horse smiled for the camera, but Matt didn’t.
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- Staff photo by Len Lathrop On a circa 1940s tractor is Jacob McQuesten. Note the flowers in the seed bucket on the tractor side and the sepia-colored flags.
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- Staff photo by Len Lathrop Riding amid the flowers is Gabriel Prunier; the tractor wagon and flowers were from McQuesten farm.
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- Staff photo by Len Lathrop In period clothing are members of the Litchfield Historical Society whose outfits were made from period-like fabrics and were researched, designed and made by Joan A. Kendall. It took 400 hours over seven months to create all the outfits.
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- Staff photo by Len Lathrop Barry Bean, a retired Marine who served in Vietnam from 1967-1973, shown with Joan A. Kendall, the seamstress of all the period clothing worn by the Litchfield Historical Society members and families.
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- Staff photo by Len Lathrop Rick Charboneau has the Ford Model A purring like a kitten as it passes by.
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- Staff photo by Len Lathrop On a 1948 John Deere Model B is Warren Adams.
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- Staff photo by Len Lathrop
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- Staff photo by Len Lathrop Replacing the American flag as part of the remembrance are Cub Scout Max Diener, Girl Scout Aimee D’Apice and Boy Scout Adam Shakey.
by Len Lathrop
Nothing was going to dampen the memorial celebration in Litchfield on Monday. Marchers were ready, the fire station would house the speakers along with the Campbell High School band and choir members, and the wreaths would still be laid.
A car into a telephone pole on the Charles Bancroft Highway with downed wires added another challenge to the day’s events, requiring that the parade’s starting point change to the Aaron Cutler Library. Traffic from the south was rerouted up Pinecrest to Albuquerque and then Hillcrest and back to the CB Highway. People parked on the side of the road as they got close to the library.
As Dr. Steven Calawa put it, “indeed flexibility and alternative planning saved the day for the Litchfield parade!” Dr Calawa, along with Margaret Parent, introduced speakers and spoke at the celebration. Calawa mentioned that focus this year was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of America’s entrance into World War I. The speaker was Jon Hopwood, whose grandfather, Claude, and his two brothers, Bill and Earle, all served in World War I. The land that the Aaron Cutler Memorial Library sits upon was part of the old Whittemore/Hopwood farm and later donated to the town for a library site by Jon’s great-grandmother, Susie Whittemore Hopwood.
The focus of Jon’s address was about how profoundly the First World War changed the world. The old world order was cast aside and a new world order emerged with the USA and Russia as the two great powers of the 20th century. The world as everyone knows it today is a result of the changes begun by World War I.
Meanwhile, the community will miss Phil Martin, musical director at Campbell High School, who is retiring in June after 41 years in education, 17 of them in Litchfield. Phil has been an integral part of our Memorial Day festivities in town for many years. He was presented with a certificate of appreciation from the Litchfield Historical Society for providing inspiring musical accompaniment for the town’s annual observance by the CHS band and choir. The entire community will miss Phil, but everyone wishes him well in his well-deserved retirement.
The Litchfield’s remembrance is truly a community event with Police Captain Benjamin Sargent and Fire Chief Frank Fraitzel leading the Pledge of Allegiance, with the high school band and chorus offering “Star Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful,” the “Navy Hymn” and “Armed Forces on Parade.” Rev. Dr. Lori Wiley from the Litchfield Community Church gave the Invocation and Benediction.
Wreaths were placed in memory of “All Who Served” at three locations: Granite Marker — For those who served in all wars, veteran Daniel Guerrette, U.S. Army (accompanied by Nathan Readybough Cailler, U.S. Air Force); Merrimack River — In memory of those lost at sea, veteran Jennifer Ferraro Lang, U.S. Army (accompanied by Johnathan Hoffman, U.S. Army); and Library Plaque — For those who served in World War I and World War II, veteran Colonel Kelly Fraser (Retired), U.S. Army and veteran F. Robert Leary, U.S. Army, assisted by the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Venture Crew.
