Charles City Memorial Day observance will be 11 a.m. at VFW grounds

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By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Charles City and area residents will have an opportunity to remember and honor those who have died in service to our country in a Memorial Day program that will be held Monday morning.

The remembrance program will begin at 11 a.m. at the Charles City VFW grounds, at 1505 N. Grand Ave. People are asked to bring lawn chairs if they wish to sit.

The program will include raising of the Colors by local Boy Scouts, the Pledge of Allegiance, national anthem and other patriotic music played by the Charles City High School band, invocation and benediction by local clergy Patty Kellogg, Charles City Memorial Day proclamation, placing of a memorial wreath by the Charles City American Legion Auxiliary, rifle salute and taps.

The Memorial Day program remarks will be delivered by Joanne Robinson of Charles City, a certified family nurse practitioner who was an active duty member of the Air Force from 1982 to 1986, and a member of the Air Force Reserves from 1986 to 2008.

The VFW will serve lunch in the banquet hall following the program and all are invited.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, emerged in the aftermath of the Civil War as a way to honor and remember the soldiers who lost their lives in service to their country.

Various communities and organizations claim to have originated the event, but Waterloo, New York, is widely regarded as the birthplace of the solemn observance in 1866.

By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities.

After World War I the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, and placed on the last Monday in May.

Today, Memorial Day serves as a time for Americans to reflect on the sacrifices made by servicemen and servicewomen throughout history, and to pay tribute to those who gave their lives defending the nation’s values and freedoms.