We recognized the sacrifice of our country’s more than 1.2 million fallen heroes who lost their lives in the defense of our nation.  Let us not forget that on Memorial Day 2020, we were still a nation at war.  Between Memorial Days 2039 and 2020, 37 American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and an unspecified number of contractors supporting our missions and our Servicemen and women died in ongoing military operations overseas.

 

Since WWII, Springfield alone lost 43 sons.  In 2020, in addition to honoring those 43, all our community’s fallen before WWII, and all our nation’s killed and missing in action, we specifically remembered the life and loss of Private First Class George P. Talbot, Springfield High School class of 1943, who died in combat, March 12, 1945 in the vicinity of Fechingen, Germany. He left behind his parents John and Marie, brothers John and Alfred, and sister Marie.  While his loss caused great sorrow within his family, his friends, and the community as a whole, he also left behind wonderful memories in many.

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Special thanks to the family of George Talbot for sharing their memories, Post 227 Vice Commander Bill Smeck for leading the Community’s planning for Memorial Day, the rest of Post’s Memorial Day Committee, the Springfield Township Manager, J. Lee Fulton, Police Chief Joe Daly, the members and leadership of both Springfield's Ambulance Corps and Fire Company, the Township’s Board of Commissioners  Edward Kelly, Gina Sage, Suzanne Hoffman, Paul Wechsler, Jeff Rudolph, Bob Layden, and Daniel Lanciano, State Representative Jennifer O’Mara, and the many others for the tremendous support provided and offers made to make our Memorial Day activities in this unusual environment both safe and appropriate

 

 

Due to COVID-19, Springfield did not host a parade or public remembrance ceremony.  Instead, the remembrance was held virtually.  The video is posted on Facebook at  @SpringfieldAmericanLegionPost227.