Calais marks holiday by flying flag from afar

CALAIS – Mary Barnard watched quietly Monday as a flag that has flown at her son’s base in Cape Liberty, Baghdad, Iraq, was raised at the city’s park on Main Street by her other son, Marc Barnard, as part of Memorial Day ceremonies.

That flag has seen some history.

It also has flown over Master Sgt. Christopher Barnard’s base in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he was sent in 2003 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Last year, Barnard was deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He took the flag with him and it has flown over his base there.

On Monday, the Barnard family and others paid tribute to their son and others.

“Our family on this Memorial Day would like to share this special flag with all of you here today in honor of our men and women in uniform,” said his father, Dick Barnard, who was holding the triangle-folded flag in his hand.

Barnard then gave the flag to his wife.

“It is with great pleasure that I hand this flag to his mother, Mary, and younger brother Marc to display here today in this beautiful park as part of our family’s tribute to them and to everyone involved in fighting the war on terrorism,” Dick Barnard said.

With his 3-year-old son Adam by his side, Marc Barnard raised the flag as the Calais High School band under the direction of Alison Brennan played the national anthem.

Afterward Barnard said his son has been in Iraq for about a year. He is expected to return sometime in August. “We don’t know where he is. He goes on different missions. That’s about all we know. He doesn’t share too much information with us,” the father said.

During Monday’s ceremony, Bill Cassidy, president of Washington County Community College, paid honor to all who have served or are serving, including the Civil War veterans to whom the park was dedicated.

Quoting from an article in the St. Croix Historical Society newsletter written by Frank Aylward, Cassidy said that Aylward served in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War. He then read from Aylward’s diary about the Civil War statue.

“I think no fitter place could have been found in Calais for her monument to her soldiers and sailors of the Civil War than where it stands for none of her citizens, either old or young, in passing from north to south or from south to north can help being reminded of those dark days of war,” Aylward wrote.

Aylward then described those men “who came back crippled by cruel wounds, or badly and mentally disabled or by disease or confinement and of those who obeyed the Great Commander’s call and joined that Great Grand Army of their comrades above,” he wrote. “Some rest in consecrated graves, some sleep beneath the sea no more to hear the bugle call, until that last grand reveille.”

Cassidy then urged the more than 50 people who attended the ceremonies Monday that if they see a soldier or veteran to thank them. He also suggested they remember the recruits. “Congratulate and thank them for their pending service, for there is no more noble way to serve your nation, state and community and give back to those who have afforded you the opportunity to grow and live in this wonderful land,” Cassidy said.

Pausing to reflect on the monument to the Civil War, Cassidy said he never again would pass the park “without looking up at that magnificent statue, which is representative of all our warriors, without a feeling of a great deal of respect and gratitude.”