Great Falls Memorial Day Ceremony Honors Fallen Soldiers

Many people think of Memorial Day as the unofficial start to summer and focus more on the time off than on the day's meaning.

Memorial Day honors U.S. military personnel who have died while serving our country.

The Montana Veterans Memorial will host the 20th annual Memorial Day ceremony on May 26th.

Great Falls Memorial Day Ceremony

Great Falls will gather for the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Montana Veterans Memorial on Monday, May 26, at 2 p.m.

Executive producer at KRTV/KTGF, Tom Wylie, will serve as master of ceremonies for the event.

MVMA President Starnell Darko said the association is proud of what its volunteers have built.

“Since its beginning, more than 8,000 tiles have been placed on the walls of this memorial,” Darko noted. “Now, twenty years later, we continue that mission by installing 106 new granite tiles to honor more veterans.”

Great Falls Montana Tourism

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Montana Veterans Memorial Ceremony

This year's program will feature uniformed United States Air Force members, including Malmstrom Air Force Base on guard.
Lt. Col. Frankie Mercado, commander of the 490th Missile Squadron, will deliver the keynote address. Chaplain 1st Lt. Sean Barley will provide the invocation.
Adding to the tradition, Boy Scouts of America members will lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Music will be a key part of the ceremony, with the Sound of the Falls Chorus performing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful,” and “Sentimental Journey.” Jesse Callender of the Great Falls Pipe Band will offer a moving “Bagpipe Salute,” and Kurt Mueller of the Great Falls Municipal Band will close out the event with a performance of “Taps.”
In a special tribute, Blackfeet Community College Professor Marvin Weatherwax, Sr., a U.S. Army veteran, will introduce the Blackfeet Veterans Honor Guard, who will present Blackfeet Nation Warrior Honors.
Attendees will also hear from Wes Gibbs, who will speak about his book A Soldier’s Journey, which tells the story of his father’s World War II service in the South Pacific. His father, 99-year-old Army veteran Durl Gibbs, will attend the ceremony in person.

The Montana Veterans Memorial in Great Falls has become one of the state’s premier places of remembrance, thanks to the continued support of volunteers and the community.

For more information, visit: www.montanaveteransmemorial.org

9 "M" Things You Need For Memorial Day Weekend

Holiday weekends are design for us to have time off and relax. This weekend is no different, however it is Memorial Day so I thought we should have a list of items that begin with "M" that we will need for a holiday weekend in the Hudson Valley.

Gallery Credit: Paty Quyn