Local members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and the Wyoming National Guard will honor veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice with special Memorial Day services this Monday, May 26, at cemeteries in Byron, Cowley and Lovell.
Three services are scheduled Monday, conducted by members of the Everett W. Maxwell VFW Post No. 3161, the Robert Boyd Stewart American Legion Post No. 11 and the Lovell 920th Forward Support Company of the Wyoming National Guard.
Services will be held at the Byron Cemetery at 8 a.m., the Cowley Cemetery at 9 a.m. and the Lovell Cemetery at 10 a.m., VFW Commander Don Dover said.
Dover will be the master of ceremonies for the services, which will include a rifle squad provided by the National Guard and commanded by John Mickelson, a color guard provided by the VFW and American Legion and commanded by Dover and the sounding of “Taps” by buglers Elden Sanders and David Peck. Meg Anderson will provide the percussion for the color guard.
Sen. Ray Peterson will be the featured speaker this year, and Bob Pratt will provide special music.
Deaver ceremony
A special ceremony will also be held in Deaver Monday for the dedication of a granite monument bearing the names of veterans from the area who served in the armed forces. The monument was built with donated funds and labor.
The monument will be dedicated at 3 p.m. Monday at the flag pole in the plaza just north of the town hall/community center.
Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor Americans who have given their lives in the service of their country. The holiday originally honored military personnel who died during the American Civil War (1861-65).
The people of Waterloo, N.Y., first observed Memorial Day on May 5, 1866, to honor soldiers killed in the Civil War. Businesses closed and people decorated soldiers’ graves and flew flags at half-staff.
The holiday now honors those who died in any war while serving the United States of America. |