Navy veteran Richard Hall and his granddaughter Emily Adams, a senior and member of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Bangor High School, salute during a wreath laying ceremony at the U.S.S. Maine Battleship Monument in Bangor on Monday. "I thought it was really cool," Adams said about laying the wreath with her grandfather. "It meant a lot to him and was very special." The 2025 Bangor Memorial Day Parade, produced annually by the Bangor High School JROTC program, starts on Exchange Street and travels down Main Street, ending at Davenport Park with a ceremony. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN

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Hundreds of people crowded along the traditional parade route as the annual Memorial Day parade wound its way through downtown Bangor on Monday.

With so much rain recently, people were ready to celebrate under bright blue skies and remember with speeches and ceremonies those who have died while serving our country.

The sidewalks were packed with people of all ages, waving flags and interacting with those in the parade, which is organized each year by Bangor High School’s Junior ROTC program.

World War II Navy veteran Ed Hendrickson, 104 years old, waves an American Flag as he makes his way up Main Street in the 2025 Bangor Memorial Day Parade on Monday. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN

The parade ended with a ceremony, wreath laying, taps and a 21-rifle salute at the USS Maine monument at Davenport Park.

Korean War Army veteran Neil Ashton wears a poppy on his cover while watching the 2025 Bangor Memorial Day Parade on Monday. According to The American Legion, the red poppy is a nationally recognized symbol of sacrifice worn by Americans since World War I to honor those who served and died for our country in all wars. It reminds Americans of the sacrifices made by our veterans while protecting our freedoms. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN

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