Five ceremonies in Jefferson County honored the casualties of America’s wars Monday — ranging from “Taps” and a 21-gun salute in Port Townsend to a parade of flags and flowers for war dead in Chimacum.
“It’s important for people to remember those who died for this country,” said Byron Ruby, a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 7014 in Port Townsend, who served in World War II and the Korean War.
Peter Jewell of Port Townsend, commander of Marvin G. Shields American Legion Post No. 26, said that a renewed sense of patriotism since Sept. 11 has meant more focus on veterans and those who gave their lives for their country.
“With the current times, the focus is on the military,” he said. “People are becoming a little more aware of veterans.
“It’s a good thing.”
Jewell, who served as a military policeman in Vietnam, helped lead a short ceremony at the City Dock in Port Townsend that drew more than 75 people at noon Monday.
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The rest of this story appears in the Tuesday Peninsula Daily News Jefferson County edition. Click on “Subscribe” to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.