HAMILTON COUNTY JOINED THE NATION MONDAY TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED IN THE U.S. ARMED FORCES. MEMORIAL DAY WAS OBSERVED WITH NUMEROUS SERVICES YESTERDAY MORNING. IN WEBSTER CITY, THERE WERE THREE SERVICES THAT PAID TRIBUTE TO THE NATION’S WAR DEAD. THE FIRST SERVICE WAS HELD AT THE MARSHALL CRIPPEN BRIDGE HONORING THOSE SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN LOST AT SEA. FLOWERS WERE THROWN INTO THE BOONE RIVER BY THE AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY WITH AN AMERICAN LEGION MILTARY SALUTE. THE SECOND SERVICE OF THE MORNING WAS HELD AT CASS CENTER CEMETERY NORTH OF WEBSTER CITY. THIS WAS FOLLWED BY THE TRADITIONAL MEMORIAL DAY PARADE DOWN DES MOINES STREET WITH A BRIEF CEREMONY HELD AT THE BOULEVARD BY THE AMERICAN LEGION TO HONOR THE MEN AND WOMEN SERVING FROM HAMILTON COUNTY IN THE MILTARY AND THE LAYING OF ROSES BY THE WEBSTER CITY MEMBERS OF SCOUTING AMERICA. THE LAST SERVICE OF THE DAY WAS HELD AT GRACELAND CEMETERY. THE FEATURED SPEAKER FOR THE DAY WAS RICH STRONER OF THE WEBSTER CITY AMERICAN LEGION.
STRONER RECITED THE POEM, ” COME VISIT MY GRAVE” BY JIM ROLFES OF LE MARS AT YESTERDAY’S SERVICE. THERE WERE 29 NAMES READ OF THOSE WEBSTER CITY AND AREA VETERANS WHO HAVE DIED SINCE LAST MEMORIAL DAY WITH THE RINGING OF THE GRACELAND CEMETERY BELL AFTER EACH NAME WAS READ. OTHERS PARTICIPATING IN THE CEREMONY INCLUDED THE WEBSTER CITY HIGH SCHOOL BAND, THE AMERICAN LEGION FIRING SQUAD AND AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY. GRACELAND AND CALVARY CEMETERIES AGAIN THIS YEAR SERVES AS THE HOME OF THE AVENUE OF FLAGS WHICH HAS BECOME A MEMORIAL DAY TRADITION FOR SOME 36 YEARS. THE FLAGS AND POLES WILL BE TAKEN DOWN LATER THIS WEEK.
SIMILAR MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES WERE HELD MONDAY IN WILLIAMS, STRATFORD,ELLSWORTH AND DUNCOMBE HONORING THE MEMORY OF THE VETERANS.