SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (all times approximate)

 0930 Foothills Cemetery
 1000 Jack Hamm Memorial/Park
 1030 Indian Peaks School/cemetery
 1100 South Pratt Parkway Bridge
 1130  Mountain View Cemetery
  • Sound Attention
  • Welcome and History of Memorial day
  • Chaplain's Opening Prayer (American Legion Chaplain
  • Reading of Memorial Day proclamation
  • Speaker's remark – CDR Steve Dillman (AL – Dept CO)
  • Presentation of Wreaths
  • History of Taps
  • Taps and Salutes
  • Chaplain's closing Prayer (VFW Chaplain)
  • End of Ceremony/"Amazing Grace"
  • American Legion members proceed to grave of John Buckley's Mother
 

HISTORY OF MEMORIAL DAY

Originally called Decoration Day after the Civil War (1861-1865), Memorial Day has been a day for Americans to remember those who lost their lives in service of their country.

After the Civil War ended in 1865, the country was in disarray. Families and lives were torn apart because of all of the fighting and destruction that had occurred. It is believed that Memorial Day began when two Civil War veterans saw a woman and her two children decorate the grave of a fallen soldier with flowers. The two veterans were so moved that they decided to decorate more graves with flowers. In 1868, General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, ordered that the 30th day of May be designated for the purpose of decorating graves of the war dead. General James Garfield spoke at the first national observance of Memorial Day on May 30, 1868.

For 100 years after that, Memorial Day was celebrated as a day for remembering those who had lost their lives in American wars. Then, in 1968, Memorial Day was officially changed to the last Monday in May. That's the way that it has been ever since.