Remember those who have sacrificed for freedom – both those who died in the active defense of their country, and those who lost their lives due to the mental and physical toll of their service.

That was the message of retired Marine Col. Brian Palmer, the keynote speaker at the Cathedral of the Pines Memorial Service in Rindge Tuesday.

Memorial Day started in 1868, and until 1970 was held on May 30, until it was changed by Congress to the last Monday of May. The Cathedral of the Pines honored the original date during its ceremony on Tuesday.

Palmer grew up in Jaffrey, and his father, who lives in Jaffrey, is a former Cathedral of the Pines trustee. Palmer was a judge advocate, and his service includes both command and combat positions, including a nuclear weapons force division in Georgia, service on seven Marine Corps bases and air stations and command in three combat zones.

During his address, Palmer honored the intent of Memorial Day by recalling the stories of service men who have lost their lives. He recalled the story of Lance Cpl. Brandon J. Garabrant, who died at the age of 19 in 2014 while serving in Afghanistan.

Garabrant’s name made the news before he was shipped out, when the ConVal Regional School District denied his request to wear his uniform during his high school graduation. Following his death, the New Hampshire Legislature passed Brandon’s Law, which allows service members to wear their uniforms during public events such as graduations. His name was honored in Peterborough on a cross as part of a memorial to veterans who died in action.

Palmer recalled seeing the name of another veteran killed in the same incident as Garabrant, Staff Sgt. David H. Stewart, who was a friend of his, while visiting a memorial wall.

Palmer also encouraged attendees to remember other men and women who died due to their service, but not in combat. He recalled three such men, one who died in a motor vehicle accident in the middle of the night and was believed to have been in the midst of a post-traumatic stress incident. Another was a close friend who died by suicide, and the third was his brother Stephen Palmer, who after his military career served as a military contractor  servicing helicopters and died as a result of lung damage related to his exposure to burn pits while deployed.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on  Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.

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