Elgin Memorial Day celebration to pay tribute to 75th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force
This year's Elgin Memorial Day program will pay tribute to the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force.
Mark Smith, president of the Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association and senior vice commander of the Elgin American Legion Post 57, will be the keynote speaker at the Bluff City Cemetery ceremony on Monday, May 29.
The program kicks off at 11 a.m. at the Bluff City Cemetery with a host of meaningful activities. In addition to musical selections from the Larkin School band, local Elgin students will read Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and General John Logan's May 5,1868 Orders which established Memorial Day.
The Memorial Day Planning Committee is honored to have Elgin's Poet Laureate Gareth Mann in attendance. Gareth will deliver a dynamic and patriotic poem written especially for this year's Memorial Day commemoration.
A particularly moving moment will be the laying of wreaths at the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial. This observance closely resembles the laying of wreaths at the tomb of the Unknowns in Washington, D.C. The playing of taps, a roll call of deceased veterans, and a rifle salute will close out the program.
For those that are not able to attend in person, the service will be broadcast live on WRMN, 1410 AM and WRMN Facebook Live and Elgin Facebook live.
Because of the expected large turnout, bring along a lawn or folding chair. A free shuttle bus will pick up riders at the main gate and east gate before and after the ceremony.
In the event of rain, the Elgin Veterans Memorial Park and the Bluff City Cemetery programs will be held at 11 a.m. at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin.
Starting at 8:30 a.m. Monday, there are various ceremonial events throughout Elgin.
A Catholic Mass with a combined color guard, rifle salute and the playing of taps will be held at 8:30 a.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery, 1001 Villa St.
It will be followed at 9 a.m. by a ceremony with a combined color guard, a rifle salute and the playing of taps at Lakewood Memorial Park, 30W730 Route 20.
At 9:30 a.m., the Elgin Navy Club and the Elgin Marine Corps League program, designed to pay tribute to veterans interred at sea, will spread flowers into the Fox River along with a rifle salute and the playing of taps and music by the Elgin Master Chorale at Elgin Veterans Memorial Park, 270 N. Grove Ave.
The Memorial Day events are co-sponsored by the Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association and the city of Elgin.
For information, visit elginmemorialday.org.