Niles residents lined Main Street to honor the nation’s veterans and military service members Monday morning at the annual Memorial Day parade.

The parade concluded at Silverbrook Cemetery with a special ceremony that included guest speaker Pastor Jeffrey Whittaker.

“We are at a pivotal time in the history of our country,” Whittaker said.

As he spoke, some of those who attended the ceremony stopped at the graves of family members or friends. Those belonging to veterans and servicemen and women were marked by American flags.

Whittaker urged the community’s younger people to take notice and have “an understanding, responsibility and a gratitude for the freedoms we do enjoy.”

Despite the growing heat, many spectators lined Main Street to watch a number of notable community organizations represented in the annual parade.

Kenneth Wolf, commander of American Legion Post 26, served as master of ceremonies and past commander Harry Roberts served as grand marshal.

The parade included the Niles High School, Niles Middle School and Brandywine Middle School marching bands, mayoral candidate Bruce Leach, members of the Four Flags Apple Festival royal court and Niles and Niles Township fire departments.

Once at Silverbrook Cemetery, members of the Niles High School marching band took refuge in the shade, but the heat took its toll as the group performed patriotic selections and taps after an armored guard salute.

Some students were seen separating from the rest of the group and resting, shedding their uniforms and going for any available water.

Still, the mood at SIlverbrook Cemetery remained somber and honorable as the message of Memorial Day rang clear.

“On this great day,” Whittaker said, “remember those whose dreams were cut short so ours could come true.”