Soon after the bell atop the Old Whaling Church struck one o’clock on Friday, a grand assembly of students from the Edgartown School rounded the corner onto Main street heading into town.
The students carried lilacs, hydrangeas, tulips, wildflowers, sunflowers and honeysuckles as they made their way to Memorial Wharf to participate in this year’s March to the Sea, an annual event commemorating the sacrifices the community has made in service of the United States.
“The sea has been a natural place to pay tribute for generations,” said Edgartown School principal Kate Campbell during a speech at the wharf. “The children of Edgartown School have walked this exact path, carrying flowers through our town streets, marching together down to the water.”
March to the Sea traditions take place all over the Island at the start of Memorial Day weekend, with schoolkids making the trek from classroom to waterside to pay their respects for fallen service men and women. In Edgartown, the procession was led by police chief Chris Dolby, town administrator James Hagerty and fire chief Alex Schaeffer.
“We follow the footsteps of thousands of children who came before us, keeping a sacred promise never to forget,” Ms. Campbell continued.
A moment of silence was held as Ms. Campbell, with the help of four kindergarten students, placed a bouquet at the memorial outside the Edgartown courthouse. From there the parade of over 100 students and family members continued down Main street.
“For those of you who might be new to this tradition, as I am, the march to the sea is not just a walk through town, it is a living piece of Martha’s Vineyard’s history,” said Ms. Campbell, who is in her first year leading the school.
Onlookers, many of whom were busy enjoying lunch, walked out of shops and restaurants to watch the procession as it passed by. At the wharf, the school band greeted the group before everyone quieted down to listen to Mr. Hagerty, the guest speaker for the event.
“To the students standing here today, your generation will help shape what the next 250 years of this country looks like. And despite all the noise division that we all sometimes see, I remain optimistic because I believe in small towns like Edgartown,” Mr. Hagerty said.
Mr. Hagerty grew up in Edgartown and once sat in the same classrooms as the gathered students. After graduating from the regional high school he joined the Marine Corps as an infantry officer, where he participated in multiple deployments to the Middle East.
“In Edgartown, military service has always been part of our history for generations,” said Mr. Hagerty. “We answered the call during the Civil War, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as… missions in between.”
Mr. Hagerty acknowledged the efforts made by members of the Edgartown community who volunteered to serve the United States, and gave the ultimate sacrifice.
“Very few nations in human history have sustained democratic government for that long,” he said. “It hasn’t happened by accident. It happened because generation after generation stepped forward during moments of uncertainty and challenge.”
During the ceremony, a group of seventh grade students recited Walt Whitman’s poem Oh Captain! My Captain!, and soon thereafter, a group of eighth grade students recited Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
The students then walked to the edge of the wharf and tossed their flowers into the water. The moment, which has been repeated by Edgartown students for many years, signifies how the water connects us all.
“The water that laps against our shores eventually touches every corner of the globe,” said Ms. Campbell. “The flower blossoms that will soon drift out to sea symbolize our love, our respect and our eternal remembrance, carrying across the waters to wherever a hero has fallen.”
The ceremony closed with two students playing Taps to remember and honor those who have served but did not return home.
This article appears in May 29, 2026.
What a sight. It does this battered old heart immeasurable good. Tears. Thank you.
Nice that they remember those of us who served and those that didn’t come back
Warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes!
It was poignant watching the ceremony with my mom – Margaret Robinson that was – who remembered participating in the same ritual as a child in Edgartown almost 80 years ago. The generations change, but our gratitude for those who served endures!