The Penacook Village Association will host its fourth annual Memorial Day Parade on Sunday, May 25 at 10 a.m.

The parade route, around a mile long, will begin at Merrimack Valley High School and will pass through Village Street North and Boudreau Square. From there, the parade will end at the Washington Street School.

“There are so many people that have given their lives, especially from Penacook, and we don’t want to have people ever forget the sacrifice they made for us,” said County Commissioner Stephen Shurtleff, a Vietnam veteran who has been on the parade committee since 2022. “As a veteran, I know how important it is that maybe once a year, for one second, somebody is standing over the grave of somebody that’s passed away, gave their life for us and that they are not being forgotten.”

During the parade, Shurtleff will lay an honorary wreath at the Boudreau Square monument, which honors the sacrifice of John D. Boudreau, a 23-year-old World War Two soldier who was lost at sea when the U.S.S. Juneau sank in 1942.

This year’s parade will incorporate the Merrimack Valley High School band, a trumpeter playing “Taps,” antique vehicles, business vehicles and various first responders, including the Concord Fire Department and the Penacook Rescue Squad.

“Memorial Day is a very solemn event, and we’ve kept that in preparing for the parade,” said Cindi Jaques, co-chair for the parade’s planning committee. “It’s not a festive event. It’s respect of our people who did not come home from the service.”

Jaques, along with her fellow co-chair, Irene Ortega, had the initial inspiration to bring back Memorial Day parades in Penacook following the pandemic. Both women are Penacook natives, and when they were growing up, the Memorial Day parade was very popular. However, eventually, it ceased to exist, so they decided to see if they could gather some volunteers and make it happen again. And they did, bringing the parade back in May 2022. Since then, the event has only continued to grow, with increasing participation from volunteers and businesses.

“As long as the Merrimack River continues to flow to the sea, the people of Penacook will not forget their service,” Shurtleff said.

Veterans are invited to walk in the parade, ride in an antique vehicle, or ride a motorcycle. To participate or volunteer, email Cindi Jaques at nhfairgirl18@gmail.com.

Yaa Bame can be reached at ybame@cmonitor.com.