Parades, ceremonies mark Memorial Day

A military veteran salutes the wreath at the foot of the Portland Sailors and Soldiers Monument in Monument Square on Monday, May 27, at the conclusion of the city’s annual Memorial Day parade. (Daniel Louten / For The Forecaster)

A father and daughter look on as Portland Fire Department’s Ladder 1 rolls down Congress Street toward Monument Square during the city’s Memorial Day parade May 27. (Daniel Louten / For The Forecaster)

A few good men stand together for the Memorial Day ceremony in Portland’s Monument Square on Monday, May 27. The light crowds this year disappointed some veterans. (Daniel Louten / For The Forecaster)

Mary Jane Gardner remembers her father, World War II and Korean War veteran Bill Gardner, at Portland’s Memorial Day parade on May 27. She said his last words to her when he died four months ago were “stay strong.” (Daniel Louten / For The Forecaster)

Freeport firefighters and an antique fire truck parade down Main Street in Freeport on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27. (Dudley Warner / For The Forecaster)

Student members of the Freeport Middle School band entertain people along Main Street in Freeport during the town’s Memorial Day parade. (Dudley Warner / For The Forecaster)

Freeport Veterinary Hospital adds an amusing touch to the town’s Memorial Day parade on May 27. (Dudley Warner / For The Forecaster)

A passenger in a classic car waves an American flag during Monday’s Memorial Day parade on Broadway in South Portland. (Krysteana Scribner / The Forecaster)The South Portland Memorial Middle School band marches down Broadway during the Memorial Day parade Monday, May 27, in South Portland (Krysteana Scribner / The Forecaster)

Arthur Bolton, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Korean War, watches the Memorial Day parade on Broadway in South Portland. (Krysteana Scribner / The Forecaster)