Memorial Day:
A day to remember, honor and pay tribute to the sacrifices of our military and their families
Across the U.S. Memorial Day will be celebrated on Monday, May 27, 2024. But what is the true meaning of Memorial Day? Is it the first holiday, marking the beginning of summer? A day off work for the majority of families? It may be those things but the true meaning behind Memorial Day focuses on just one thing, in this reporters opinion. Memorial Day is about celebrating our fallen Veterans and honoring the Heroes that served our country. Everyday we honor the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives in service to our country. These courageous individuals have given everything they had to defend our freedoms and way of life.
Memorial Day reminds us of the high price of freedom and the debt of gratitude we owe to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. It is a day to reflect on their sacrifice and to honor their memory with gratitude.
The origins of Memorial Day can be traced back to the aftermath of the American Civil War. As the conflict ended in 1865, people across the country began holding ceremonies to honor the Union and Confederate soldiers who had died in the conflict. One of the earliest known ceremonies took place in Charleston, South Carolina, in May 1865, when a group of freed slaves gathered to commemorate fallen Union soldiers buried in a local racecourse.
The first national observance of Memorial Day, then known as Decoration Day, was declared by General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic on May 5, 1868. The day was designated as a time to decorate the graves of the fallen with flowers and to hold ceremonies to honor their sacrifice.
Over time, Memorial Day became an important national holiday, honoring all Americans who died while serving in the military. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a federal holiday to be celebrated on the last Monday in May.
Today, Memorial Day is marked by parades, speeches, and ceremonies at military cemeteries and other sites across the country. It serves as a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by the men and women who have died in service to our country, and a time to reflect on the true cost of freedom.
2024 Memorial Day Schedule Valley City:
Information courtesy of local Veterans organizations: Memorial Day is for honoring and mourning the military personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
The various Veteran Organizations in Valley City will be conducting Military Honors on Memorial Day in remembrance of those who have died for their country. Military Honors will consist of wreath placement, prayer, gun salute and taps.
Military Honors
9:00am Hillside Cemetery
9:15am St Catherine’s Cemetery
9:45am Oriska Cemetery
10:00am St Bernards Cemetery
10:20am Memory Gardens Cemetery
10:50am Woodbine Cemetery
11:15am Eagles (Riverside)
Patriotic Music will be conducted inside the Eagles at 11:30am by the Valley City Community band along with VC High School Band members. Attendees are then invited for lunch starting at 12:00 p.m.
Military Honors will not be conducted earlier than the posted times. In the event of inclement weather the Military Honors will be conducted indoors at the Eagles only at 11:15 a.m.
EckelsonSanborn American Legion:
The Eckelson-Sanborn American Legion Auxiliary will hold a Memorial Day program at 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Sanborn.
A visitation to cemeteries will follow the program. If it is raining on Monday, visitation to the cemeteries will not be held. After the visitation, lunch will be served at the Sanborn Community Center.
Leal:
Leal Memorial Celebration will be held May 27th with the Color Guard around noon at the Leal Cemetery. Lunch to follow at the Leal Fire Hall, bring a dish to pass. BBQ’s will be provided.
Jamestown:
Memorial Day observances will be held Monday, May 27 with a memorial-remembrance service at 9 a.m. in Shady’s conference room at the Gladstone Inn & Suites in Jamestown with Mayor Dwaine Heinrich, Vietnam Veteran, will be the keynote speaker. The Jamestown Drum and Bugle Corps will perform and there will be recognitions of Gold Star and Blue Star families and veterans’ organizations. Following the service, a wreathlowering ceremony will be held at the Nickeus Park bridge, and veteran organizations, auxiliaries and the 20th Infantry group will hold remembrances at Fort Seward and cemeteries in Jamestown. A Memorial Wall Ceremony at Fort Seward is also planned for 11 a.m. on Monday. Lunch will follow at the All Vets Club in Jamestown for a freewill offering
North Dakota Veterans Cemetery:
2024 Memorial Day Ceremony will begin at 12 p.m., Monday, May 29, at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, 6.5 miles south of Mandan on North Dakota Highway 1806. This annual event, hosted by the North Dakota National Guard, honors all deceased American servicemen and women and is free and open to the public. The first observance was held in 1993.
The ceremony will be live streamed at NDGuard.ND.gov and on the North Dakota National Guard Facebook page. It will begin with a flyover performed by two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters at approximately 12:03 p.m.
There will be no Memorial Day program at the Heritage Center, North Dakota capitol grounds. Instead, Veterans organizations will host a gathering for Veterans and their families at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, beginning at 11:00 a.m.