THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MAy 22, 2026 Page 7 The Sounds of Saugus So, Saugus be safe out there on the road. One-day trash delay The Town of Saugus announced that trash and recycling collection will run on a one-day delay for the Memorial Day holiday. Trash and recycling will not be collected on Monday, May 25, due to the holiday. Collection will resume on a one-day delay on Tuesday, May 26. Residents are kindly asked to leave their trash and recycling curbside by 7 a.m. the day after their normally scheduled collection day. The Town of Saugus would Emily and her bunny “Double Trouble” were the first to ride the pony Luda at the Saugus Iron Works last week. The Saugus Public Library arranged for New England Party Animals from Manchester, N.H., to bring Luda to Saugus. About 120 people, including toddlers eager to ride and their families, arrived for the event. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) By Mark E. Vogler Good morning, Saugus Today (Friday, May 22) marks the beginning of the most solemn of American holidays. While it seems to have lost its meaning over the years, Memorial Day is a day where Americans pause to reflect and remember their fallen heroes – the ones who served their country and gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in the line of duty. Saugus, like most American communities, has felt the tragedy of war over the years – from the Revolutionary War to the Iraqi War. The stars of the fallen are there to count alongside the names of servicemen inscribed on monuments throughout town. The holiday will officially get underway today (Friday, May 22) at 3 p.m. with a flagging of veterans’ graves in Riverside Cemetery. Saugus Veterans Council Commander Steve Castinetti has again issued an invitation to all Saugus citizens to volunteer their time to assist longtime grave officer Randy Briand in planting mini-American flags. “We need as many volunteers as we can get to make sure all of the veterans graves in the cemetery get a flag,” Castinetti said this week. “All are welcome to join in. The more, the merrier,” he said. If you miss the flagging this afternoon, there’s still time to join other Saugonians in observing Memorial Day tomorrow (Saturday, May 23), beginning at 10 a.m. with the annual Memorial Day parade, which will pass Veterans Park and make its way into Riverside Cemetery, where the town’s official ceremonies will commence. There will be the familiar sight of family members and friends of the fallen or deceased veterans putting flowers on their graves to go alongside the miniature American flags. Many will come from out of town to honor the fallen of Saugus on this Memorial Day weekend of remembrance. Memorial Day weekend is also one of the most dangerous driving periods of the year, ever since I can remember. I lost my twin brother, Lance A. Vogler, on Memorial Day in 1978 in a motorcycle accident an eighth of a mile down the street from our home in Swansea, Mass. Lance was a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in the Vietnam War. When I got the news of his death, I was working for a newspaper in San Angelo, Texas. I had just written about a tragic car accident in which seven family members perished. like to thank everyone for their cooperation. Please contact Solid Waste/Recycling Coordinator Scott A. Brazis at 781231-4036 with any questions. The fallen heroes of Saugus Some folks confuse the purpose of Memorial Day with Veterans Day (Nov. 11), two similar patriotic holidays. Memorial Day, which was once known as “Decoration Day” honoring the Civil War fallen heroes, is to honor those who died serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Veterans Day, which commemorates the end of World War I, is meant to honor all living veterans, retired or still serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. This time of year, I like to mention the war dead totals I’ve compiled over the years by counting stars for each of the wars from World War I through the Iraq War. Saugus by the Numbers Based on a count of the stars on local monuments, here are the numbers of Saugus servicemen who were killed while serving their country: · World War I – 14 · World War II – 57 · Korean War – 2 · Vietnam War – 3 THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 8
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