An indoor pivot caused by forecasted rain didn't dampen the Dorchester American Legion Post 91's annual Memorial Day tribute.

Traditionally an open-air ceremony at Long Wharf Park, Legion personnel decided a day before the scheduled Monday, May 29, observance to move the event inside the group's Sunburst Highway facility.

More than 100 officials, service and community members, eager to pay their respects, filled the hall, which was ringed with a veritable honor guard of memorial wreaths.

Former state Sen. Richard Colburn served as master of ceremonies, as he did in 2022, despite recovering from recent back surgery.

"There are a lot of things we do during the year; I don't think there's anything more important that I do than this ceremony," Colburn told the crowd.

Colburn introduced the morning's guest speaker, former Salisbury mayor and current Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jacob R. Day.

"As a major in the U.S. Army, Secretary Day is assigned to the Maryland National Guard as an Information Ops and Special Technical Ops officer with the 110th Info Ops Battalion," Colburn said, noting his most recent active deployment to Africa occurred in 2020, while still mayor.

"On this Memorial Day, a day of recognition, respect and reverence, I want to talk to you about sacrifice," he began. Almost no one he knew of had enlisted in the service intending to make a sacrifice, he added.

"We signed up to gain something, to feel something, to experience something, perhaps to give something, but rarely with sacrifice as a goal," he said.

"Inevitably, something is given in war. But even wearing a uniform during peacetime, something is given – time with family, pursuing other endeavors and goals; almost universally sweat is given, and from time to time, blood is given. So, we call this service to our nation, to our brothers and sisters," Day continued.

A variety of experiences during his 14 years in the military provided unique insights, like eating camel steaks, Yemeni fish and "every kind of MRE there was," he recalled.

Primarily, though, there were lessons in the notion of service: the difficulty of being apart from his children, traveling to training sites all across the U.S., reaching the edge of conflict in Eastern Europe, and combat zones in East Africa (Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti) while fighting the global war on terror against violent Islamic extremists.

But it was an earlier road trip from Oxford through Northern France and Belgium in May 2008, seeing first-hand innumerable World War I and II battle sites and memorials, which had the greatest impact.

"At the Argonne, and later at Sainte-Mere-Eglise, I stood in silent view of the seemingly countless numbers of American boys who had sacrificed their futures and families for the mission and the demands of that moment," Day recalled.

"The scale, the magnitude and sheer calm representation of the violent end that they each experienced in their short lives; it's impossible to stand at the edge of those fields, surrounded by stately trees and rolling terrain, with green grasses blowing in the breeze, and not feel inspired to something more, to reach in pursuit of something meaningful, even when there's a personal cost," he added.

More recently, Day pointed out that Gov. Wes Moore's combined background of military, community and public service inspired him to sign on as housing secretary. He cited Moore's military service as the source of his overarching philosophy of leaving no one behind.

"That was the motto while he was in uniform as a captain in the legendary 82nd Airborne Division; now it's the mandated message directing every one of us serving on his team," he explained.

Day relayed that two recently passed General Assembly bills signed by Moore will provide extra measures of assistance to veterans.

The first, Health Care for Heroes, provides Maryland National Guard members with monthly reimbursements to cover their health and dental care costs, making Maryland the first state to do so, Day noted.

The second, the Keep Our Heroes Home Act, increases military retirement income tax exemption for veterans, their spouses, and all receiving military pensions in Maryland.

"We hope this tax break will encourage retired veterans seeking secondary civilian careers to stay in Maryland to work, start businesses and serve their communities. There's no doubt our veteran class has so much to give back to our state; we should attract and retain every one of them that we can," Day said.

Following the address, solemn salutes accompanied the official presentation of memorial wreaths. Next, soundman Bruce Patrick sent bagpipe-played renditions of the traditional Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force songs over the address system. A closing prayer offered from Open Bible's pastor gave gratitude for the image of George Washington on his knees in prayer for his troops. Steve Williams played taps. Finally, everyone in the hall turned as one to face the outdoor flags as they were raised by Wilcox, SONS 1st Vice Pat Murphy, Sergeant-at-Arms Art LeCompte and Treasurer Mike Hickman.

For more information, visit Dorchester Post 91 American Legion's Facebook page or call 443-225-5457.