A misty gray morning settled over Main Street in Norwell on Saturday as volunteers moved steadily along the roadside, planting hundreds of American flags whose red, white and blue stood out sharply against the damp spring backdrop. The flags have become as familiar a sign of spring in Norwell as the start of town soccer season and the annual Norwell Recreation Fishing Derby.
Students from Norwell High School’s varsity sports teams worked alongside veterans and longtime volunteers, continuing a Memorial Day tradition that has become one of the town’s most visible community efforts each spring.
For nearly a decade, veteran and former Norwell veterans agent Dave Osborne has helped organize the town’s Memorial Day parade, ceremonies and the rows of American flags that line Main Street each May. Osborne, an 88-year-old Coast Guard veteran who served from 1959 to 1963, said his early days in that as the veterans agent led him to focus on creating opportunities for veterans and residents to gather together. He started an annual veterans lunch in 2014 that now regularly draws more than 200 attendees, with volunteers helping contact veterans across town ahead of each event.
That same spirit of community involvement has carried into the Memorial Day parade.
Back in 2016, Osborne said the local American Legion informed town officials that it could no longer organize the parade and cemetery ceremony. Rather than see the tradition disappear, he stepped in.
“I just looked around and I was the only man standing, so to speak,” Osborne said.
This Saturday morning, Osborne worked alongside volunteer Ann C. Mulligan, Coast Guard veteran Dan Durica, who served in the Coast Guard from 1966 to 1970 aboard an icebreaker in the North Atlantic, and local high school students placing flags throughout town ahead of the holiday weekend.
“It gives a little kick off to the Memorial Day parade,” Osborne said. “This tradition has gained ground every year only through the volunteers who have been super.”
The parade will begin with participants gathering at 9 a.m. May 25 at the UCC Church before marching at 9:30 a.m. toward the town center cemetery for the Memorial Day ceremony.
Osborne said the event remains focused on honoring fallen veterans and helps younger generations understand the meaning behind the holiday.
The students helping place flags Saturday morning said the effort offered them an opportunity to give back to the community, show appreciation for veterans and take part in a tradition many have grown up watching each year. Several said seeing the rows of flags stretch along Main Street remains one of the most memorable parts of Memorial Day in Norwell.
The growing display of American flags has become a centerpiece of the town’s observances. Osborne said the idea began modestly and then expanded after workers at Gillette Stadium donated hundreds of lightly used American flags that had previously been displayed for Patriots events. Now, volunteers place hundreds of flags throughout town each year, with students and veterans continuing the tradition side by side.
Osborne said the volunteer support has made the observances possible.
“I couldn't possibly have gotten any of this stuff done, especially to the extent that it is without the volunteers that have helped me,” he said.
Osborne said he has noticed nearby communities shortening or reducing their Memorial Day marches in recent years, making Norwell’s continued tradition especially meaningful for many residents.
“I’ve had a ton of people call me up and talk to me ... and they all say how much they enjoy it,” Osborne said. “So I just think it’s something you should keep going.”