Special ceremonies, speakers, and a re-enactment will be part of Memorial Day activities in Emporia and Lyon County.
A re-enactors’ group will have a special program at Maplewood-Memorial Lawn Cemetery. The “Last Soldier Ceremony” will be presented by the 8th Kansas Infantry Re-Enactors Group at 2 p.m. Monday at the flag memorial on the Lincoln Street entrance to Maplewood.
The presentation is open to the public.
Earlier in the day, former servicemen and women will have public ceremonies at the All-Veterans Memorial and later at cemeteries in other communities.
Author, former doctor, and serviceman Don Coldsmith will be the keynote speaker at Emporia’s memorial tribute, planned on Monday at the All Veterans Memorial at Soden’s Grove.
The event will begin with music by the Emporia Municipal Band at 9:15 a.m., and the program at 9:30 a.m., according to Ed VanVickle, Kansas Department Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and liaison for the Legion and VFW.
Color Guards will be assembled from a variety of organizations, including Ball-McColm Post of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7957, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1980, Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans and Civil Air Patrol. The firing squad will be made up of American Legion and VFW members.
After the Emporia ceremony, the color guard and honor guard will go to Americus for a memorial service there.
The Moreland-Edmunds-Clayton-Thompson Post 389 of the American Legion will hold ceremonies at 7 cemeteries in north Lyon County on Memorial Day. A basket dinner will follow, at 12:30 p.m. at the Post home in Allen.
The Allen-area schedule is:
Comisky Cemetery, 8:45 a.m.; Agnes City, 9:15 a.m.; Bushong, 9:45 a.m.; Allen, 10:20 a.m.; Admire, 10:45 a.m.; Ivy, 11:15 a.m.; and Pleasant Ridge, 11:50 a.m.
More information may be had by calling Don Schiesser (620) 528-3302).
bharz (anonymous) says...
Thanks and hooah to all our veterans!
May 22, 2009 at 12:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )