American Legion Post 148 Commander David Tanguay said he was up before dawn on Memorial Day and the raindrops made him think the day would be a wet one.

“The weather was beautiful,” Tanguay said later of the perfect day Monday turned in to. Tanguay was in charge of organizing the parade that started at 9:30 a.m. and ended at the high school where a wreath-laying ceremony took place at 10 a.m.

Hundreds of people lined Route 202 from the town offices entrance on School Road to the Whindham High School. A low-flying refueling plane from the Maine Air National Guard based in Bangor was carefully timed to cross over the high school as a band played the national anthem to open the wreath-laying ceremony at the monument to fallen Windham soldiers in front of the high school.

Commander Dana Stetson-Reed, a Navy Reserve chaplain and the senior minister at the North Windham Union Church, United Church of Christ, was on hand and burned a collection of American flags in tribute to Maine soldiers who have died for their country.

Wreathlayingceremony2: Commander Dana Stetson-Reed, a Navy Reserve chaplain and the Senior Minister at the North Windham Union Church, United Church of Christ, salutes a collection of American flags burned as a tribute to fallen Maine soldiers.Wreathlayingceremony3: Servicemen from various military backgrounds fired a twenty-one gun salute in three volleys at the high school.Wreathlayingceremony4: Windham veterans laid this wreath in front of the stone monument to Windham residents who have served their country.