Ceremonies planned to honor America’s heroes

As a preview of Memorial Day and Memorial Day weekend, Opportunities Inc. will a brief outdoor public veterans Memorial Day ceremony from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday near their offices at 6101 North State Line Ave.

The ceremony will consist of laying a wreath at the company’s U.S. flagpole, followed by the playing of “Taps.”

Besides Thursday’s ceremony, three local veterans organizations and Texarkana Funeral Home will be holding public Memorial Day and Memorial Day weekend services during a two-day period.

The first service, hosted by the Texarkana Area Veterans Council, will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at East Memorial Gardens off U.S. Highway 67 East, just past the Texarkana Regional Airport.

The second service, hosted by the American Legion, will be at 11 a.m. on Memorial Day at the Miller County Courthouse. It will last about 30 minutes.

The third service, which will immediately follow the second service, will consist of a 15-minute Memorial Day Walk from the Miller County Courthouse to the Korea-Vietnam Memorial near North State Line Avenue and

West Seventh Street. There, the Texarkana Area Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #278 will host their 34th Annual Memorial Day service on site.

The fourth and final service, hosted by Texarkana Funeral Home, will start at 1 p.m. at Hillcrest Memorial Park on U.S. Highway 67 West. Everyone is encouraged to attend the service if they can.

And for those who can’t, a National Memorial Service will be held at 3 p.m. local time all across the nation.

The Texarkana Area Veterans Council will need help setting up U.S. flags starting at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at East Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

The council will also need help placing U.S. flags at Chapelwood Cemetery on Kings Highway.

For more information, call 870-773-8279, 903-556-1613, 903824-2727 or 903-628-7216.