Members of the VFW, American Legion, and AMVETS, along with others, will meet at the Lower Valley Memorial Gardens on Saturday, May 27, at 6:00 a.m. to place 1,900 American flags on the graves of all veterans buried in Sunnyside. The flags will remain out until the end of Memorial Day on Monday, May 29 at 6 p.m.
Members of the public are invited to help in placing flags in honor of local veterans. Families are encouraged to attend with their children to teach the importance of the Memorial Day tradition. Community members who are aware of a veteran in need of a flag can contact Post Commander Bill Ingram at 509-830-4554 or contact cemetery management staff and a flag will be placed on the veteran’s grave.
The VFW Ladies Auxiliary will provide breakfast at the VFW Hall, 615 North Ave., for everyone participating in putting out the flags. Participants are invited to come and share time with each other over breakfast and a hot cup of coffee, and maybe share a few stories from their days in the military.
The groups will also host two Memorial Day services on Monday, May 29. The first is set to take place at the Outlook Cemetery at 9:30 a.m. The second and main service will take place at the War Veterans Memorial at Lower Valley Memorial Gardens at 11 a.m. that same morning.
The program will consist of a reading of the names of all local veterans who have passed away over the last year, a reading of the veterans’ names from Sunnyside who were Killed-In-Action since World War I, a wreath laying ceremony, a 21-Gun Salute, the playing of Taps by John Killian and the releasing of doves by AMVET member Henry Ebbelaar. LTC Timothy Horn, Commander of the Yakima Firing Center, will be the guest speaker at this service.
The public is invited to attend all Memorial Day services. For more information about Sunnyside’s Memorial Day events, contact American Legion Post Commander Greg Schlieve at 509-781-0799 or email schlieve@charter.net; or VFW Post Commander Bill Ingram at 509-830-4554.
In Grandview, Memorial Day activities will begin on Saturday, May 27 at 8 a.m. with the annual “Flags In” Ceremony at the Grandview Cemetery. Members of the community are encouraged to help set out flags on the graves of veterans buried in Grandview. Those attending will meet American Legion personnel at the cemetery stage to pick up instructions, maps, flags, and tools.
On Monday, May 29 the American Legion will hold their Memorial Day Ceremony at the Grandview Cemetery stage. United States flags will fly from sunrise to noon in honor of Memorial Day. The “Flags Out” Ceremony will take place Monday evening at 6 p.m. where flags will be removed from graves and returned for storage.
For more information about Grandview’s Memorial Day events, contact James Davidson, adjutant of the Fred E. Hayes Post 57, at 509-830-3849 or email adjutant.walegion57@gmail.com.
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