Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be creating a post on my travel blog about Brunswick, Maine. But as it happens I attended the Memorial Day Parade in Brunswick, Maine and once I posted the videos I created while I was there I received all kinds of attention and more significantly the appreciation of a young soldier who marched in that parade and found my video online.
So in honor of our service men and women both young and old I have decided to create this post.Brunswick Memorial Day Parade-Pipes. This first video (also my first ever posted video) is the bagpipers as the are coming into downtown Brunswick, Maine.
The Memorial Day Parade this year is especially significant for Brunswick because it also marks the final closing for The Brunswick Naval Air Station.
For as long as I can remember the Navy had a significant presence here. I still remember seeing an impossibly large airplane lumbering along through the sky headed for the Naval Air Station. I still can’t quite fathom how anything quite that large didn’t just fall to the ground.
Back in 1996 when we had the Ice Storm that literally brought the State of Maine to a virtual Standstill it was those planes that brought help from other states in the form of electricians complete with their repair vehicles.
Brunswick Jr. High Band and The US Navy Marching
The Naval Air Station was an integral part of this community for 68 years. In November of 2009 the last of the P-3’s departed from the base. And as of January 2010 the runways were permanently closed to Naval air traffic. The area has been renamed as The Brunswick Landing.
The theme for this years parade was “Never Forget.”
Let us never forget the contributions and presence that Brunswick enjoyed from the Navy for the past 68 years.
Brunswick is also home to Bowdoin College. The College was founded in 1794 and is a private liberal arts college. There are approximately 1700 students who enjoy an offering of a possible thirty-three majors.
Brunswick, Maine is located just twelve miles north of Freeport, and twenty-eight miles north of Portland, Maine.
The area was settled in 1628 when it was called Pejepscot. Then after a series of skirmishes and all out wars the area finally experienced peace in 1717 and was renamed Brunswick in honor of the House of Brunswick and King George.
Yasser Khan
Hey Jim,
Your posts read like some travelogue showing on TV!
Were you ever a tour guide before?
You’ve found real-life appreciation of your video on this topic; that can be highly flattering for anyone making a difference in others’ lives buy showing appreciation for their sacrifices.Â
Gratitude is a rare trait indeed.Â
Glad to be back here!
Yasser
Marquita Herald
Very nice post Jim … I love Maine! In fact, I just love New England. It’s been awhile since I’ve had a chance to return, but remains on my list of favorite travel spots. Your photos are great and really make the reader feel like they were there for the parade – and what a beautiful day for it!
Linnea Kline
Hi Jim,
I haven’t been to Maine for many years but do remember how much I enjoyed it there. You have done Brunswick and our service men a great honor with this post. Job well done! Thanks so much for expanding our horizons.
Anonymous
Thanks ~ It was a lot of fun just attending the parade and I already know a
lot about the area. I had no idea that when I posted the video that one of
the servicemen would contact me directly. I sent him all the pictures and
clips I had taken that day.
And of course this has sparked other ideas for other Maine type posts. It’s
a nice place to be in the summer. 🙂
Theuns
Hi Jim
Thanks for this interesting post.
Yes in South Africa we do not have aÂ
Memorial Day and this just is something good that my
US friends are doing, It just make you feel proud to know
what brave men did for your country.
Great photos love it.
Regards
Theuns
Â
Kevin M.
Hi Jim:
I love the narrative that you share with your pictures. It helps bring your excellent photos to life.
Blessings,
Kevin
mario
Hallo Jim, I read your blog with interest. I am Dutch but live in Belgium, here also are closings of the army, airports etc. We live in a strange world at the moment and suffer from the financial crisis day after day. The past is what we call history.
Thanks for sharing,
cheers Mario.
Anonymous
We do indeed live in a strange and ever changing world at the moment. Thanks
for the comment and I am glad you found this post interesting. I will be
creating a new post soon.
Jim
Gary Young China Sourcing
Hey Jim,
Great story and pictures. They really go well together.
Thanks for sharing!
Dereck
WOW, Jim
Yet another Jewel of documentation about your wonderful travels. I never knew about this place… in fact, I’d say, by simply reading your blog about the many different places you travel too… I better start traveling myself or I’ll never be able to keep up!
Because of my ignorance, I thought that lobsters were the only cool things that came out of Maine. But now… I know much different. (kinda a joke!)
Keep up the good work, I now have a growing list of places I need to travel too.
-D
Anonymous
Lobsters are but one of many beautiful and tasty things that we have here in
Maine. It’s my intention to do posts on several of them this summer. But of
course the weather just isn’t cooperating this weekend. It’s hard to go to a
festival in the pouring rain.
Thanks for the inspiring comment Derrick. Now I’m gonna have to show you all
much more about Maine.
Jim
Lori Tisot
Absolutely beautiful, Jim. Thanks for taking me to Brunswick through your pictures, story, and video! Congrats on your first video – the quality is great!
Lori
Tony
You did a fantastic job! You are a fantastic storyteller through all your pictures and videos, I would love to someday go to Brunswick and experience this for myself. Â Thanks for sharing!
Anonymous
Thanks for the great comment. Maine is a nice place during the Spring,
Summer and Fall. I do like the winter as well but this past winter just
seemed to last forever. I love to travel and sharing the experience is fun.
Julieanne van Zyl
Hello Jim, thanks for sharing your story about Brunswick, I enjoyed finding out about where you live! Â You must get beautiful photos of the snow in winter? Â bye for now, Julieanne
Anonymous
Oh I have many opportunities for pictures of snow. We often seem to have
more of it than our fair share. But I originally moved to Maine to get away
from those 100 degree days.
Thanks for your comment. 🙂
Steve Nicholas
Great post, Jim! It is definitely important to remember our servicemen and -women as we go through our lives. I think that there are just so many times, because of how few people are actually in the military, that we don’t really see what our military does, but it is truly amazing what our military has done for us.