Retired Lt. Col. Darryl Lyon (left) and Russell Green, retired Army National Guard, salute Monday during the wreath laying ceremony at the USS Maine Memorial in Davenport Park on Memorial Day. Bangor JROTC Cadet Lt. Col. Luke Dusablon delivered a speech during the ceremony. "We should never forget these brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy our freedoms we have today," Dusablon said. "It is up to us to tell their stories and continue their legacy and inspire future generations to do the same." Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN

Hundreds turned out in downtown Bangor on Monday despite the overcast sky for the annual Memorial Day parade.

The parade began about 10 a.m. on Exchange Street and wound its way through downtown before ending at the USS Maine Memorial in Davenport Park on Main Street.

There the assembled crowd observed a wreath-laying ceremony and the playing of Taps.

“Memorial Day is like the kickoff of summer. We break out the grills, we have a fun time with our families, but It’s easy to sometimes forget the reason we have those freedoms. And that’s because of all the brave men and women we are honoring today who laid down their lives to ensure that our country stays the way it is and we have our freedoms we enjoy today,” Bangor JROTC Cadet Lt. Col Luke Dusablon said.

Paradegoers wave as veterans pass by during Bangor’s Memorial Day parade on Monday. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN
Ronald Judkins, retired U.S. Navy, shakes hands with spectators as he walked in Bangor’s Memorial Day parade on Monday. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN
Jessica Gleason shares a moment with her 1-year-old granddaughter Piper Pina, during the Memorial Day parade in Bangor on Monday. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN

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