City Park hosts Memorial Day ceremony
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1212 Commander Daniel Close prepared to place a wreath on the Veteran War Memorial at City Park during a Memorial Day celebration Monday morning. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Frank Kester and Gregory Burdette, representing American Legion Post 15, welcomed attendees to a Memorial Day ceremony at City Park on Monday morning. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
American Legion Auxiliary Unit 15 Secretary Kim Young placed a wreath at the Veteran War Memorial during a Memorial Day ceremony at City Park Monday morning. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1212 Commander Daniel Close prepared to place a wreath on the Veteran War Memorial at City Park during a Memorial Day celebration Monday morning. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Frank Kester and Gregory Burdette, representing American Legion Post 15, welcomed attendees to a Memorial Day ceremony at City Park on Monday morning. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
American Legion Auxiliary Unit 15 Secretary Kim Young placed a wreath at the Veteran War Memorial during a Memorial Day ceremony at City Park Monday morning. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
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PARKERSBURG -- Community members gathered at City Park on Monday morning for Parkersburg's annual Memorial Day ceremony to honor those who lost their lives in military service.
The event opened with an invocation by American Legion Post 15 Chaplain Frank Kester asking for blessings for the fallen, their families, and attendees.
Following the prayer, attendees stood for the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance before a speaker addressed the meaning of the day.
"On this Memorial Day, we pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and our way of life," said Gregory Burdette with American Legion Post 15. "Let us never forget their courage, their service, their enduring legacy that they have left behind. As we enjoy this holiday, let us also remember that our freedoms are not free. They were earned with the ultimate sacrifice of others."
A list of American Legion Post 15 members who passed in the past year was read aloud as well as members of American Legion Unit 15 Auxiliary and members from Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1212.
"Let us not just remember their names, but also the values they stood for: patriotism and commitment to freedom and duty," said Burdette.
Wreaths were laid out in remembrance for those who passed, not only in the past year but in the name of "remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice."
"We thank you for this, veterans. We thank you for the post members," Kester emphasized in his benediction. "We miss our fellow comrades that we know and love and support."
After the ceremony, Burdette explained why he was passionate about hosting the Memorial Day service each year.
"Every year we hold a memorial service. It's our vets that have passed before us and given their lives for it," Burdette said. "You hear everybody saying, 'Thank you for your service.' These are soldiers that could not be here to hear that. And this is when we honor them."
Organizers said they hoped for greater community participation in future ceremonies.
"I hope next year we get more information out on it, then we have a bigger service," Burdette said.
Gwen Sour can be reached at gsour@newsandsentinel.com