ELY- Memorial Day services will be held at the Ely Cemetery on Monday, May 31, beginning at 10:30 a.m. The event is sponsored by VFW Post 2717, American Legion Post 248, and the American Legion Auxiliary.
The entire program will be broadcast on WELY 94.5 FM, according to American Legion Post 258 Adjutant Gerald Tyler.
The service will begin with a welcome by Master of Ceremonies Steven Saari, commander of American Legion Post 248, who is standing in this year for Tony Rechichi, VFW Post 2717 commander. “Tony will be participating in Honor Guard duties,” Tyler said.
Bagpiper Joe Linnemann will play America the Beautiful and Yankee Doodle.
The Invocation will be conducted by Helen Koski, reader at First Lutheran Church.
Tyler will then recite the Roll Call of Departed Comrades.
The placing of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will be presented this year by the family of Veteran Robert Niskala, who passed away earlier this year. Ely Area Scouts and American Legion Auxiliary members will also participate. Linneman will play Amazing Grace.
The featured speaker this year will be David Merhar, Colonel, (Ret) U.S. Army.
Koski will present the benediction following the keynote address.
Ely Memorial Band Director Sarah Mason will sing the National Anthem and America the Beautiful.
The Ely Honor Guard will present a Salute to the Honored Dead.
Taps will be played by Ron Forsman.
Volunteers will be placing American flags on the gravesites of known Veterans at the Ely Cemetery on Saturday, May 29 beginning at 9 a.m. The flags will be removed Tuesday morning.
“Our group does not have a listing or knowledge of all the Veterans interred at the Ely Cemetery,” said Honor Guard Commander Mike Pope.
“We place flags at the government-issued markers. Occasionally we may know the location of a specific Veteran and will place a flag there. If someone wants to ensure their loved one has a flag, feel free to join us on Saturday. We will happily loan a flag for the gravesite. Our goal is to put flags on all the Veterans’ sites, but we only know the ones marked with the government marker,” Pope said.