By ANDY CASTILLO
Recorder Staff
TO BUY HIGH-RESOLUTION VERSIONS OF THESE PICTURES, CLICK HERE
SHELBURNE FALLS — Wailing sirens could be heard throughout the village late Monday morning as about 30 fire engines from surrounding towns idled across the Iron Bridge during the annual Fourth of July parade put on by Cub Scouts Pack 85.
The parade featured an old-fashioned bicyclist, musicians, antique cars, horses, Boy Scouts, cub scouts, tractors and veterans.
Hundreds of onlookers lined the streets of downtown to see the parade, which kicked off at 11:30 a.m. near the old Buckland Maintenance Department on Conway Street and ended at the Buckland Shelburne Elementary School, to celebrate the nation’s 240th birthday.
Just before the marchers crossed the bridge, a group of veterans broke off from the parade and went to the Bridge of Flowers, where they fired off a 21-gun salute and held a special remembrance ceremony for fallen soldiers.
For many veterans, Independence Day is a time to remember fallen comrades, give thanks for freedom, reflect on the past and look toward a peaceful future.
“On the one hand, we can say we won something,” said Bob Bessette, 99, a World War II Navy veteran born in 1916, about the great war after the parade. “It’s also an example of the folly we sometimes fall into — killing each other.”
Bessette was stationed on the USS Iowa as well as other battleships during his time in the service.
“I went all over hell’s creation on the South Pacific,” he continued, “and I’m happy to be back in Shelburne Falls. Someday, I hope people realize this war business is a folly from the start to the finish, but there is a problem — wars are profitable.”
Joseph Rambis, a Vietnam Veteran who stopped at the Bridge of Flowers after the parade, agreed with Bessette.
“I wish people appreciated what the Fourth means,” he said. “For me, I think back to the people who got us here, and I wish for a better future.”
Rambis said he tries to wear something patriotic every day to remind himself of the high cost of freedom.
Retired Air Force Master Sgt. Richard Grant, who marched in the parade in his dress blues, said he participates in events such as Monday’s parade to honor those who gave their lives for the cause of freedom.
Following the parade, Cub Scouts from Pack 85 held the group’s annual chicken barbecue at the school.
“It was great,” said Todd Dubreuil, who cooked chicken during the barbecue. “Looks like it will probably sell out again.”
Scouts from the pack served 254 half-chickens to several hundred people who enjoyed a meal, a bounce house and patriotic music performed by the Shelburne Falls Military Band.
The Cub Scout pack has put on the event each year for about the last 10 years, as a way to promote community service, and to raise money for events throughout the year.
“It’s really fun and I see all my friends,” said Phineas Tuttman, a Cub Scout with Pack 85. Tuttman held the U.S. flag during the parade and served potatoes during the barbecue after.
“(Independence Day) is to show what a great country we have,” he continued. “It’s the birthday of America.”
Adriaan Tuttman, Cub Master and Phineas’ dad, said the day’s events went off without a hitch.
“The parade was great,” he said, “the kids marched in line and managed to keep the flags from hitting the ground. All the support from the town goes to subsidize the kids’ trips.”
You can reach Andy Castillo at: acastillo@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 263. On Twitter, @AndyCCastillo