Memorial Day ceremonies are planned Monday in communities throughout Clallam and Jefferson counties to remember those who served and died in defense of their country.
Port Angeles
The Veterans Association of Clallam County will conduct a Memorial Day ceremony at 10:30 a.m. at the Veterans Center, located at Third and Francis streets in Port Angeles.
Events include singing “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Amazing Grace,” speakers and laying of wreaths.
Veterans Association member R.P. Wilson said American flags signifying veterans’ gravesites will be displayed at both Mount Angeles Memorial Park, located at U.S. Highway 101 and Monroe Road and Ocean View Cemetery, located at 3127 W. 18th St.
Wilson said keeping records of where all the veterans are buried is “way beyond our capabilities.”
So unless there’s some indication on the gravesite that the person was a veteran, the volunteers won’t know to put a flag there, he said.
“We don’t deliberately pass up a veteran’s grave when putting out the flags on gravesites.”
Weather permitting, an “Avenue of Flags” featuring larger American flags also is planned at the two cemeteries, Veterans Park and City Pier, Wilson said.
“The problem is the weather, there’s no way to dry those flags. We will put the flags at the graves on Saturday and the “Avenue of Flags” out on Monday morning.
“Hopefully, those flags will be dry on Monday afternoon. We can’t store them if they are wet because they will mildew,” Wilson said.
If the weather looks bad, a token number of flags might be flown, he said.
Axel Yount will perform on the bagpipes as part of the Juan de Fuca Fesitval’s Memorial Day ceremony, set for 3:15 p.m. on the main stage at the Vern Burton Community Center, located at Fourth and Peabody streets.
Sequim/Dungeness Valley
The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4760 of Sequim will host three ceremonies to honor those who have served in the United States armed forces.
The first will be at 11 a.m. at the Sequim View Cemetery on Sequim-Dungeness Way.
The second will be held at noon at Pioneer Park on East Washington Street.
The third will be at 1 p.m. at the Gardiner Cemetery on Gardiner Cemetery Road.
American Legion Post 62 will also conduct ceremonies at the following cemeteries: 11:30 a.m. at Jamestown; noon at Dungeness and 12:45 p.m. at the Blue Mountain Cemetery on Blue Mountain Road.
The public is invited to participate by placing a symbol of their remembrance at the base of the flagpole during the ceremony.
The Port Crescent Pioneer Cemetery on Crescent Beach Road will host its 20th annual Memorial Day program at 11 a.m. It will feature speakers, music, prayers, a poem, Port Angeles Civil Air Patrol color guard and renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “America” and “Taps.”
West End
Forks Veterans of Foreign Wars Fletcher Wittenborn Post 9106 will host its annual Veterans Memorial at 11 a.m. at Forks City Hall, 500 E. Division St.
It will feature an orchestra, speakers and possibly a rifle squad for a 21-gun salute.
In the event of rain, the ceremony will be at the post hall on South Spartan Avenue.
Port Townsend/Jefferson County
In Jefferson County, members of VFW Post 7498 Elks, American Legion will lead the following ceremonies Monday:
* 10 a.m.: Fort Worden Military Cemetery, Port Townsend.
* 10:45 a.m.: Catholic Cemetery on San Juan Ave., Port Townsend.
* 11:30 a.m.: Laurel Grove Cemetery on Old Discovery Road, Port Townsend.
* 12:30 p.m.: City dock downtown Port Townsend.
* 1 p.m.: Lunch at the American Legion Hall, Monroe and Water streets at 1 p.m.
District 14 Veterans of Foreign Wars members in Chimacum will hold the annual Parade of Flags ceremony at 3 p.m. at Chimacum Cemetery, on Beaver Valley Road. Posts and their auxiliaries from Brinnon, Carlsborg, Forks, Neah Bay, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Port Hadlock, Quilcene and Sequim will participate.