Army veteran Mickey Nuzzo of Boardman and other members of the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 2 salute the flag when “The Star Spangled Banner” played during the Boardman Memorial Day service.... Correspondent photo / John Patrick Gatta

BOARDMAN — While many Americans either traveled over the three-day weekend, had cookouts and enjoyed the unofficial start of summer, the 122nd annual Boardman Memorial Day service reminded its more than 100 attendees Monday morning that those good times are only made possible by those who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the military.

After a parade down Market Street and onto Boardman-Poland Road that ended at the Maag Outdoor Arts Theatre in Boardman Park, the nearly hourlong program presented a historical perspective on the day and words from its keynote speaker — U.S. Marine Corps combat Vietnam veteran Jerre Patterson of Canfield. Members of the Boardman High School band played patriotic songs, and the audience recognized the military veterans in attendance with handshakes of gratitude.

After participating in the parade, the Boardman Spartan Marching Band, conducted by Tim Tuite, pared down to its Boardman High School Wind Ensemble for the service. It opened with “March from 1941,” and later performed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful,” “Armed Forces Salute,” which included each military service song, and “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

Mark Luke of the Boardman-Youngstown Kiwanis Club, who emceed the event, explained the day’s original intent.

He quoted from the May 5, 1868, order by Major General John A. Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, “We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of a free and undivided republic.”

His order established Decoration Day to honor those who had fallen during the Civil War wherein flowers would be placed on their graves on May 30.

After World War I, the day also honored service members who perished in all American wars. While it was commonly referred to as Memorial Day by the 1880s, it wasn’t an official federal holiday until Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which took effect in 1971, and made it the last Monday in May in order to create a longer weekend.

Luke also pointed out that an act of Congress established the National Moment of Remembrance to preserve the true meaning of the holiday. It asks Americans everywhere to pause for a minute of silence at 3 p.m. local time.

Having held every position in the Boardman Police Department — from patrolman to chief — the service’s keynote speaker and parade grand marshal Jerre Patterson was well-known to many of those in attendance, but his backstory of joining the military and fighting battles against the North Vietnamese may be less familiar.

Citing historical records, he pointed out that “Mahoning County lost 25 warriors — Company G — during World War I, 1,101 warriors during World War II, 39 warriors during the Korean War, 103 warriors during the Vietnam War and two warriors during the Persian Gulf War.”

Patterson explained how he was “looking for adventure” when he joined the Marines with his brother. While his sibling was stationed in California, Jerre received training to go to Vietnam. Overseas, he served as a mortar platoon forward observer with the 1st Marine Division.

He noted the influence of the stories his father, who was on the USS Enterprise during World War II, told of his time in the service while “skipping the details of war and combat.”

“He consistently told us that there is no greater honor or showing of respect than to serve your country and the Armed Forces. These talks put that spark of patriotism inside me. That spark that I still carry today.”

Despite receiving two Navy Commendation Medals with Combat “V”s for Valor, Pattterson said, “My experiences pale in comparison to experiences that were endured by some of the patriots we’re remembering here today. There are thousands of stories about how these patriots received their spark and what each and everyone did as a result. There were acts of honor, selflessness and sacrifice as a result of answering their call of patriotic duty.

“We can honor these patriots by remembering the stories about how these 1,270 warriors from Mahoning County reacted to their spark and share those stories with their family, neighbors and friends, by participating in events such as today’s parade and patriotic program and, lastly, by participating and supporting the veterans organizations you see here today.”

Referring to the ongoing celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, he said, “The one common factor all of us veterans have is that we’ve all carried our own spark inside of us and have all answered that call. With your help, together, we can pass that spark on to help keep us protected the next 250 years.”