Skip to main content

Remembering

Service to the community

A group of uniformed firefighters in dark suits and sunglasses, standing outdoors with a flag visible.

The Memorial Day Parade, held on May 26, 2025, displayed the foundation of Minoa: the mayor and Village Board, many local and state officials, school children in scouts and band, heroes who have served their community and nation, and our brave firefighters. The Parade fostered pride and satisfaction in our Minoa community. 

Memorial Day carries a deeply personal and solemn meaning for firefighters in the Minoa Fire Department because it is a day of remembrance. Those of us who serve in the Department also live and work in the Minoa community that we protect, and Memorial Day resonates on multiple levels.

At its core, Memorial Day honors the men and women of the armed forces who gave their lives in service to the United States. As a firefighter, there’s a shared sense of duty, sacrifice, and commitment to protecting others — values that bridge the military and emergency services. The Minoa Fire Department includes veterans among our ranks, reinforcing that connection.

We firefighters also reflect on our own fallen comrades — those who served not in uniform overseas, but here at home, responding to fires, accidents, and disasters. Although Memorial Day is specifically for military personnel, the spirit of honoring the fallen naturally extends to anyone who gave his or her life in service to others.

In that light, Memorial Day is a time to stand in quiet gratitude, to remember the cost of freedom, and to recommit to service in one’s own way, whether on the battlefield or the fireground. It’s about remembering those who answered the call and never came home, and making sure their legacy lives on through service, community, and remembrance.

Gallery

A crowd gathered on a street, holding American flags, with patriotic banners overhead.
Two men in uniform and suit riding in a golf cart, one is wearing an Air Force cap.
Charles Butterfiel and Mayor Brazill
Two veterans in a vehicle holding rifles and American flags during a parade.
A person in a suit and tie gestures outdoors in a public setting.
County Legislator Mark Olson
Uniformed personnel in a parade, holding flags; people watch in the background.
A group of people in uniform marching in a parade, with spectators sitting by the roadside.
A man wearing a uniform and sunglasses drives a green vintage vehicle.
A group of scouts marching in a parade, holding American and troop flags.
A vintage green car with green-spoked wheels driving on a street with people inside and others walking nearby.
Two men in a golf cart labeled "Minoa Village Board" with American flags, likely in a parade or public event.
A man driving a vintage fire truck labeled "M.F.D.", with a bell and hose visible, in a sunny outdoor setting.
Uniformed firefighters in a parade, carrying flags, walking down a street with spectators in the background.
A group of scouts marching in a parade holding an American flag and a troop banner, wearing uniforms with badges.
Person in a vehicle, smiling, wearing a red shirt and watch, holding a small American flag.
A group of people, including veterans, at a commemorative event with flags and a crowd gathered solemnly.
Neil Dewald of the Simon-Parise VFW Post 9596 presenting the Memorial Wreath.
A group of kids is singing by a podium decorated with red, white, and blue bunting, with an elderly man saluting in the foreground.
Ms. Currier's music class from Minoa Elementary singing "God Bless America,"
A crowd gathered on a street, holding American flags, with patriotic banners overhead.
Two men in uniform and suit riding in a golf cart, one is wearing an Air Force cap.
Two veterans in a vehicle holding rifles and American flags during a parade.
A person in a suit and tie gestures outdoors in a public setting.
Uniformed personnel in a parade, holding flags; people watch in the background.
A group of people in uniform marching in a parade, with spectators sitting by the roadside.
A man wearing a uniform and sunglasses drives a green vintage vehicle.
A group of scouts marching in a parade, holding American and troop flags.
A vintage green car with green-spoked wheels driving on a street with people inside and others walking nearby.
Two men in a golf cart labeled "Minoa Village Board" with American flags, likely in a parade or public event.
A man driving a vintage fire truck labeled "M.F.D.", with a bell and hose visible, in a sunny outdoor setting.
Uniformed firefighters in a parade, carrying flags, walking down a street with spectators in the background.
A group of scouts marching in a parade holding an American flag and a troop banner, wearing uniforms with badges.
Person in a vehicle, smiling, wearing a red shirt and watch, holding a small American flag.
A group of people, including veterans, at a commemorative event with flags and a crowd gathered solemnly.
A group of kids is singing by a podium decorated with red, white, and blue bunting, with an elderly man saluting in the foreground.

Charles (Chuck) Butterfield

Chuck was born on the family farm in Central Illinois  in October of 1929. After working at various jobs in Illinois after High School, in 1950 Chuck enlisted in the United States Air Force, during the Korean Crisis. Upon completion of Basic Military Training, Chuck’s unit was sent to Kindley AFB, Bermuda, where he was stationed for 3 years, then he was transferred to Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, NY, where he was stationed for 8 months.

Chuck Butterfield, an veteran, speaks at a podium with a microphone; patriotic banners are in the background.
Special guest speaker Charles (Chuck) Butterfield. A veteran, Mr. Butterfield served as a trustee and deputy mayor of Minoa from 1976-88.

Chuck and his family moved into the Village of Minoa in 1956 and lived here until 2016, departing to Florida for the sunny South. The Butterfield house was the first one to be built in Canterbury Woods. After being discharged from the USAF, Chuck enlisted in the 174th Tactical Fighter Group. Chuck’s highest enlisted grade was Chief Master Sergeant, E9. In 1960, THE 174th was called to Active Duty and sent to Phalsbourg Air Base, France. One of Chuck’s highlights while a member of the 174th, was that he was a part of the group from Syracuse that marched in the John F Kennedy Inaugural Parade.

While in the Guard, Chuck received several medals and commendations, including the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and many other prestigious awards. Chuck also created the job position of Travel/Accounting Technician, which was incorporated by Air National Guard flying units nationwide.

Also while in the Guard, Chuck joined the Flying Club, and after a year of flight lessons, received his Private Pilot License. Then he went on to get his Commercial and Instrument Rating. He flew the club’s Cessna 172 all around the country, and even took Mayor Crossett up for a flight over Minoa, to take aerial photographs.

In May 1968 Chuck was given a commission as a Captain, and in October of 1989 retired as a Colonel.

Chuck was elected to the Minoa Village Board in 1976, with Russ Schepp serving as the Mayor. He served on the board for 4 years with Mayor Schepp, and continued to serve on the board from 1980-1988, with Don Crossett serving as the Mayor.  During those years he served as Deputy Mayor.

Chuck brought up to the Board that it would be a good idea to display the American flag throughout the Village on special days, such as the 4th of July and Memorial Day. The Board approved and Minoa was possibly the first village in Onondaga County to do this.

While serving on the Village of Minoa Board, Chuck along with the other board members and the Mayor, significantly upgraded the Village DPW, adding several new vehicles and equipment.

Chuck also served as the Village of Minoa Police Commissioner. Chuck was on the committee that worked to get the three Village Police Departments consolidated into the one Town of Manlius Police Department, and this was accomplished. Leo Capria was the first Town of Manlius Police Chief.

Mayor Brazill in a suit and tie is speaking at a podium with a microphone, holding papers.

Remarks by Mayor Brazill

As we gather in the heart of our village, I am reminded once again of what makes Minoa so special, the strength of our community, the love we share for our country, and the deep respect we hold for those who have served it.

Today, on Memorial Day, we pause not to celebrate, but to remember.

We remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation. We remember those who never returned home to their families, whose dreams were cut short, and whose sacrifice allows us the freedom to live ours. Their courage echoes through every generation, and it is our solemn duty to ensure that their stories are never forgotten.

In a village like Minoa, where we know our neighbors by name, where we look out for one another, the meaning of service and sacrifice hits close to home. Many of our families have stories of military service. Some of those stories ended with loved ones making the ultimate sacrifice. To those families we see you, we support you, and we honor you.

This morning, as flags fly and flowers are placed on graves, let us not only look back, but look forward with gratitude and with purpose. Let us teach our children the value of freedom, the cost of peace, and the importance of honoring those who came before us.

Let us also remember that honoring the fallen is not just about one day a year. It’s about how we live with kindness, with courage, and with a commitment to serve our community and each other.

On behalf of the entire Village of Minoa, I thank all our veterans, our active-duty service members, and the families who support them. We are forever in your debt.

May God bless our fallen heroes.

May God bless you all.

And may God bless the Village of Minoa and the United States of America.

___________________

Thanks to Mayor Brazill, Village Clerk Lisa DeVona, and Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Ashlee M. Powers for assistance with this story.