Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Memorial Day is Monday, May 25, and the entire community is invited to join together to remember and honor those who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
The American Legion Otto M. Walker Post #49 is hosting a Memorial Day picnic at 1085 S. Water St. Doors open at 11 a.m., and activities will begin at 11:30 a.m. This year's guest speaker is David Wilson, USAF (Ret). At noon, the Post will present a ceremony to remember the fallen.
A picnic will immediately follow, featuring fried chicken with sides. There is no charge for the meal, but donations to the Post will be gladly accepted.
There also will be raffle drawings during the event. Raffle tickets are on sale for a chance to win two prizes: a new Ruger AR556 in caliber 223 that comes with a 16-inch barrel and a 30-round magazine; and a Ruger 57 pistol in 5.7x28 mm with hard case, extra magazine and accessories. To purchase the $5 raffle tickets in advance, contact Post Commander Ed Gifford at 330-354-5533 or Post Adjutant Kenny Thie at 850-666-3643.
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. It began as a day to remember those lost while fighting in the Civil War, but during World War I the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars. Today we also remember the fallen from World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
For decades, Memorial Day was observed on May 30, the date that General John A. Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. In 1968, however, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as a federal holiday on the last Monday in May.
Jefferson County residents, like people in towns across America, have the opportunity to observe Memorial Day together at the Post's picnic.