https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/2e474190-c74f-463b-9df8-4c160bec9947 “Memorial Day 1946” is a home-style film that oscillates between black-and-white and color footage and chronicles the Memorial Day parade through Mendon, Massachusetts that sought to pay tribute to fallen World War II servicemen. The film features footage of men from across the United States Navy, Army, Marine, and Air Corps as they march through the small town’s streets. The procession stops at various historical sites and monuments across the town such as Harrison Hall (c.1840) and the “Town of Mendon Roll of Honor.” Towards the end of the film, the footage changes to color and captures a group of small school children as they wave American flags and use their bodies to spell out the words Army, Navy, Air Corps, and Marines. Mendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,228 at the 2020 census. Mendon is part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, an early center of the industrial revolution in the United States. Film begins, title page slowly comes into view (0:12). School-aged children walk down residential, tree-lined street in suit jackets, peacoats while carrying American flags (0:20). Close-ups of students' faces as they wait in line outside what appears to be Harrison Hall (0:59). Marching band warms up, tests out brass instruments (1:46). Parade processional of men in United States military uniform, military marching band carrying brass instruments, and women also in uniform carrying flags followed by school children (2:10). Man delivers speech from Old Town Cemetery in Mendon, various shots of historic gravestones, men in military uniform holding what are likely drill purpose rifles (3:02). Men in uniform perform what is likely 21-gun salute (4:04). Local residents gather along small streets to observe the parade (4:27). Parade marches along residential street lined with trees and colonial-style homes (4:40). Parade ceremony and processional continues at what appears to be Mendon Civil War Memorial (5:43). Man in uniform addresses crowd, makes speech standing in front of monument titled “Town of Mendon Roll of Honor” with names of fallen soldiers etched into marble (6:58). Procession continues down residential streets of Mendon, local residents follow parade along sidewalks (8:09). Group of children loiter on stoop of family home, look towards camera (9:39). Group of men ride down road towards camera riding in Willys MB Jeep, park in front of Harrison Hall (9:42). Footage changes to color, group of school-aged children carrying miniature American flags march across grass lawn and assemble themselves in formation to spell out word “A R M Y” (10:15). Children repeat process this time spelling out “N A V Y” (11:13). Children repeat process once more this time to spell out “A I R C O R P S” (11:43). Children repeat process one last time to spell out “M A R I N E S” (12:44). Film ends (13:52). Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. For almost two decades, we've worked to collect, scan and preserve the world as it was captured on 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have endangered films you'd like to have scanned, or wish to donate celluloid to Periscope Film so that we can share them with the world, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the weblink below. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhzPg2MXtcg Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Sat, 13 Jun 2026 13:24:38 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/2e474190-c74f-463b-9df8-4c160bec9947 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.