After an early morning thunderstorm that had folks a little worried about the day's events, the skies cleared and Memorial Day got underway with moving ceremonies in the cemeteries of St. Stephen's and St. Rose of Lima.

Police, firefighters, veterans from the American Legion Post 140, joined clergy and others on a hilltop in the graveyard of St. Rose of Lima, surrounded by trees and graves of those who had fought in wars dating back to the Revolutionary War.

After a reading and some prayers the Millburn High School Brass Ensemble played "Nearer My God to Thee" and "Taps," first all together then with a lone trumpet turned away from the ceremony creating a haunting sound.

"It was so touching," said Geralyn Frick, whose late husband was an Army major for four years. "That lone trumpet gave it that faraway feel...like eternity."

"I can't get over it," she said, dabbing tears from her eyes.

After Taps and the gun salute, an elderly couple sponataneously started singing "America the Beautiful" as people gathered to leave. Many joined in.

Jack Dalton, an 85-year-old veteran of World War II and lifelong Millburn resident, attended the services and marched in the parade, as he has done for decades.

"People used to line the streets for the entire route," he said. "It used to be bigger."

Dalton had several close calls during the war, including getting sent off the USS Bataan the day it was torpedoed. When the ship later arrived in Pearl Harbor he went to see it and saw that the torpedoes went through the ship right where his bunk had been.

"I was very lucky," he said. "Someone was watching over me."

Check back later for more Memorial Day coverage, including a video of the parade and ceremony at Taylor Park.