Many volunteers from the public woke up early Saturday morning on May 28th, to help assist the American Legion Post 65 in switching out old American flags with new ones on veterans graves at Evergreen Cemetery in Alpena.
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“I, myself, feel like the honor should not be going to those who are still here”, said Desert Storm veteran Charlotte Avila.
Memorial Day was meant to honor those who were killed in war.
Small American flags on the graves of veterans waved in the breeze as Memorial Day ceremonies were held Monday at the Forest Hill Cemetery. It’s about the people who died to give us the rights we have now. Tully served with the Marines in Vietnam in 1968 and participates in the Memorial Day parade every year.
Christina herself served in the Navy in a time of war, unloading body bags and coffins that were returning to DE from Vietnam.
In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established that Memorial Day would be celebrated nationally on the last Monday in May and each year now the president or vice president lays a wreath at Arlington at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This day was set aside to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
You have a chance to pay your respects and thank the service men and women who died so all Americans can live freely.
A grandson, sister and daughter were among those who stepped forward to commemorate eight service members whose names are being added to the memorial wall, joining the other 58,307.
But Irvin wants to make sure other veterans get the funeral services they’ve earned, something that’s kept him pretty busy.
Here is a brief look at the history behind the holiday.
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By the end of World War I, which resulted in about 300,000 USA deaths, the families and supporters of Union and Confederate soldiers unified. This day was created to pay tribute to the soldiers who died as a result of serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. He says after the 867th name was added to the state’s Vietnam Memorial past year, several women contacted him about having their husbands’ names added to the wall, but they hadn’t been killed in combat.
