Memorial Day in Chatham 2023
Columbia County Sheriff Don Krapf spoke at the Memorial Day observance at the town cemetery.
Memorial Day in Chatham was quintessential small town America, complete with families, visitors, dogs, and long-time Chatham residents gathering on Main Street for the annual parade. A good-sized crowd socialized, waved, and cheered as the parade went by. Uplifting patriotic music was provided by the Chatham Middle School and High School bands, and the Ghent Band. Some of the marchers included local Legion and Legion Auxiliaries, Village of Chatham officials, Boy Scouts of America, Chatham Police, and volunteer firefighters from Chatham Village and the Town of Ghent.
Many in the crowd followed the parade up to the Chatham Rural Cemetery, where local officials provided a remembrance service with speeches to mark the day. Under the huge shade trees that shelter the cemetery grounds, honored guests were introduced, Chatham High School students presented the annual recitations of “In Flanders Fields” and the “Gettysburg Address,” and the CHS band provided more patriotic music. After a gun salute, the audience heard a rendition of “Taps” that echoed over the event and set a sober mood. The featured speaker was Columbia County Sheriff Don Krapf.
Krapf talked about the daily gratitude he feels for family and community. He recognized those who have served and now serve in our military and our public safety organizations. Krapf said that his own father died soon after he was born, after contracting a service-related illness. He remembered those service members who suffered injuries and gave the ultimate sacrifice during combat, and those who still suffer from trauma and loss.
At the end of the ceremonies, the audience heard that there is an upcoming Veteran’s Stand Down Military Appreciation Event on Saturday, June 17. It will take place on the campus of Columbia Greene Community College and will include many services, resources, and family activities for local veterans. More information is available here.