Memorial Day 2012: The Greater Boston Fire Brigade band entered Cedar Grove Cemetery's gates this morning. Photo by Bill ForryA larger crowd gathered in Cedar Grove Cemetery for the neighborhood's traditional observations of Memorial Day. The event began with a parade of veterans groups and marching bands, which entered Cedar Grove Cemetery after passing beneath a huge American flag held aloft by twin Boston Fire Department ladder trucks.

Lt. Greg Kelly: Dorchester native, a combat veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, spoke stirringly about the day's significance. Photo by Bill Forry
Boston Fire Lt. Greg Kelly, a decorated combat veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan wars, was the keynote speaker and grand marshal of this year's parade and ceremony, which traces its origins to 1868, when Civil War veterans came here to honor their fallen comrades.