Memorial Day observances, honoring those who died while serving their country in foreign wars, are scheduled throughout the North Olympic Peninsula today.
The ceremonies, organized by town, are:
Port Angeles
■ Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1024 will conduct a Memorial Day ceremony to honor deceased veterans at Mount Angeles Memorial Park, 45 S. Monroe Road, at 9:30 a.m.
The ceremony will be at the flagpole in the Veterans Circle at the south end of the grounds.
The public is invited.
Members of VFW Post 1024, the Boy Scouts and the Port Angeles High School Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps will place U.S. flags on poles along the driveways of Mount Angeles and Ocean View cemeteries.
To volunteer to help, or for more information, phone Dalke Koelling of VFW Post 1024 at 360-477-5686 or 360-477-5687.
■ The Clallam County Veterans Association will sponsor a Memorial Day service at the Clallam County Veterans Center, 216 S. Francis St., at
11:30 a.m.
Participants will include the American Legion Riders of Post 29, the Honor Guard from the Mount Olympus Detachment of the Marine Corps League, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1024 and the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 9.
The VFW Post 1024 Ladies Auxiliary will host a cake and coffee reception following the service.
Both the program and the reception are open to the public.
The event is hosted by the VFW Post 1024, said Tammy Sullenger, veterans coordinator for Clallam County.
The program includes an invocation and benediction by Thomas J. McKeown Sr., chaplain of VFW Post 1024; singing of “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Amazing Grace” by Teresa Pierce, executive communications coordinator for the city of Port Angeles; and a welcome and Memorial Day thoughts by Dale Koelling, VFW Post 1024.
Placing of Memorial Day wreaths will follow, along with a flag ceremony by the American Legion Riders, Post 29; a rifle salute by the Marine Corps League Honor Guard, Mount Olympus Detachment 897; and finally, the playing of taps by Don Gregory, Marine Corps League, detachment bugler.
■ The Blue Mountain Community will hold an observance of Memorial Day at the old schoolhouse on Blue Mountain Road at noon.
The Reserve Honor Guard will attend, and a potluck of cakes, cookies, juice and coffee will be served.
Bill Hermann and Jim Bower are the unofficial hosts of the event.
The event is free and open to the public.
For more information, phone 360-452-6765.
Sequim
■ The American Legion Post and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4760 will conduct a ceremony at
11 a.m. at Sequim View Cemetery, 1505 Sequim-Dungeness Way.
The American Legion will go on to Jamestown Cemetery, Dungeness Cemetery and Blue Mountain Cemetery.
The VFW will go on to Pioneer Park, Blyn and Gardiner.
Gardiner
■ A Memorial Day ceremony is planned at 12:30 p.m. at Gardiner Community Cemetery.
“It’s a short ceremony, about 20 minutes,” said Diane Martin, cemetery commissioner.
The annual service is held in a cemetery in which one-third of the graves are those of veterans, including that of Marvin G. Shields, the only Navy Seebee to receive a Medal of Honor.
The Sequim Veterans of Foreign Wars hosts the ceremony.
A flag will be displayed at each veteran’s gravesite.
For more information, phone Martin at 360-797-7515.
Joyce
■ A Memorial Day ceremony is planned at Port Crescent Pioneer Cemetery near Salt Creek at 11 a.m.
The keynote speaker will be retired Air Force Maj. and Air National Guard Maj. Scott Whitmore.
Others participating in the ceremony will be Crescent High School Associated Student Body President Kailee Rose, National Honor Society President Anne Grover and Crescent Grange Master John Singhose.
The opening prayer will be led by the Rev. Ed McKay of Hillcrest Baptist Church.
Taps will be performed by Lucy Defoe.
Forks
■ Cub Scouts will conduct a Memorial Day program in Forks.
The program by Cub Scout Pack 4467 members will begin at 11 a.m. at the Forks City Hall, 500 E. Division St.
The program will be followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the veterans memorial at the Forks Transit Center, 551 S. Forks Ave.
Paul Hampton, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9106 in Forks, said the Cub Scouts are leading this year’s program, though members of the VFW Post, as well as of the Forks Elks Club, and others plan to attend.
Port Townsend
■ Ceremonies are planned at several cemeteries the morning of Memorial Day and will culminate in a noon program at American Legion Marvin Shields Memorial Post 26.
Ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. at Fort Worden Military Cemetery and then move to St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery and Laurel Grove Cemetery.
At American Legion Hall at 209 Monroe St., the Memorial Day commemoration will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a 30-minute performance by the Port Townsend Summer Band.
Services will start at noon with the advance of the colors, the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem sung by Selena Espinoza.
The featured speaker for the event will be Jefferson County Public Utility District Commissioner Ken McMillen.
Following the program, the group will move across the street to the city dock for a wreath-laying ceremony.
The post will host a potluck lunch after the service.
All events are open to the public.
Brinnon
■ The public — and especially veterans, members of the military and their families — are invited to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10706’s Memorial Day ceremonies at the Brinnon Cemetery on Church Road at 11 a.m.
Music will be provided by Kendra Haninnen and James Reynolds.
For more information, phone John or Dalila Dowd at 360-796-4001.
Port Ludlow
■ A group of former military members will conduct a solemn, distinguished American flag disposal ceremony at the Port Ludlow Bay Club, 120 Spinnaker Place, starting at 11 a.m.
Residents of Port Ludlow and the surrounding area are invited to bring to the event unserviceable flags no longer fit for display.
Each flag may be dedicated to a person, place or event.
Flags are often dedicated to a deceased military acquaintance or family member.
A choral group from Bremerton will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” to begin the event.
Following the ceremony, the choral group will offer a program of patriotic songs.
The ceremony, held Memorial Day, began 10 years ago, and volunteers who have helped with the service in that time include Tink Green, Peter Josephs, Tom Lohrey, Russ Reed, Jim Richards, Tom Carter and founder Jerry Conover.
For more information, phone Conover at 360-437 0537 or Mike Morgan at 360-437 2008.
Chimacum
■ A Memorial Day ceremony is planned at 3 p.m. at Greenwood Cemetery
in Chimacum.
The ceremony will be hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars District 14, which includes eight VFW posts and five auxiliaries on the North Olympic Peninsula.
Chimacum Boy Scouts and Elks Lodge members also will participate.
After the ceremony, a potluck is planned at the VFW Post 7498 Hall at 221 Masonic Hall Road in Port Hadlock.
The public is invited to attend.
For more information, phone Dick Wiltse at 360-385-0479.