Community gathers for Memorial Day in Flint

By Marc Jacobson

From © ABC-12

McFARLAN PARK (WJRT) -- (05/30/11) -- To honor our nations bravest, people from across Mid-Michigan have been coming together to celebrate Memorial Day.

Many gathered today at Flint's McFarlan Park for a special ceremony.

This is the first year that downtown Flint's Memorial Day service has taken place on the holiday itself. This year's remembrance also included something special; a re-enactment to honor the 150th remembrance of the Civil War.

Nearly 150 residents, many of them veterans themselves, gathered at McFarlan Park to honor those who have served their country. "It's emotional and it's hard to put into words, but I wouldn't trade my time served for anything," veteran Robert Hughes said.

For some vets, Memorial Day isn't only about honoring lost lives. "I have two nephews in the Army and the Navy, and a grandson in the Marine Corps. And I pray for them every night," veteran Larry Edwards said.

Congressman Dale Kildee, D-Flint, and Mayor Dayne Walling were among those paying tribute to the troops.

"This is just phenomenal, this gathering," Walling said, "to see all of these people and to pay tribute to these veterans. They are the ones responsible for what we have in this country and this community."

Many of the names listed in McFarlan Park stretch back to the Spanish-American War. Today's ceremony reached even further and honored veterans of the Civil War on its 150th anniversary."

"Michigan had many troops deployed, and in cities like Flint, they enlisted in droves," said Friends of McFarlan Park President Joe Mishler.

The large Memorial Day turnout reinforced the strong bond between Flint-area vets. "It just all bubbles up - the pride. I was a Vietnam-era vet, and I was glad to be there," Larry Ford said.