Thanks for making Memorial Day special
On behalf of the Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association, we would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who helped organize, participate in or attend this year’s Memorial Day service at Bluff City Cemetery as well as the services at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Lakewood Memorial Cemetery and the Veterans Memorial Park Navy and Marine Corps service, which was conducted by the Elgin Navy Club Ship No. 7.
We were blessed with a beautiful day, which helped bring many new and familiar faces.
This year’s Bluff City Cemetery was dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the 20th anniversary of the Persian Gulf wars and the veterans from Elgin. For his Memorial Day address, Jake Zimmerman provided us with the history of Elgin’s part in the gulf wars.
We also would like to thank the Burlington-Central High School Band under the direction of Jim Struyk, and the Chamber Singers of the Elgin Choral Union under the direction of Jon Warfel. Their patriotic musical selections were greatly appreciated additions to the program.
Thank you to the staff at Bluff City Cemetery. They make sure the cemetery provides the perfect setting for the services. The Avenue of Flags is always impressive. This year we would like to thank them for the help in replacing the signs for the Avenue of Flags.
Thank you to the City of Elgin for all their help in setting up for the programs at Bluff City Cemetery and Veterans Memorial Park.
May we never forget any of the brave men and women who have served, fought and died over hundreds of years while serving this great country of ours. We should be thankful to them every single day for our freedom, our liberty and our many other countless blessings.
Let us please also remember our service men and women who are still in harm’s way all over the world. May they come home quickly and safely.
Pat Porter
Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association