Memorial Day 2025: How Baldwin County veterans organizations are remembering the fallen
BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — Memorial Day is often seen as the unofficial start of summer packed with backyard barbecues and family beach days.
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But the true meaning goes deeper than that. Baldwin County residents came together on Monday to honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.
For American Legion Post Commander Van Hubbard in Foley, Memorial Day is more than just a tradition.
'We do this today to honor their sacrifice. It means everything.' Hubbard said. 'This is the day that I get to spend with my family, my kids. This day, I get to say that I'm truly free, and our freedom comes because of their sacrifice.'
It can be easy to get caught up in the fun of a holiday, but veterans at the American Legion Post 199 in Fairhope explained it's important to remember what the day is all about.
'It's not about the party; it's not about doing massive celebrations,' Dale Taylor at Post 199 said. 'We'd like to remember that the sacrifices of all of those service members is to be remembered and not forgotten, especially on today.'
Veterans, families and area residents also gathered at VFW Post 5658 in Elberta to honor those who never made it home from service.
'I remember my parents. My father passed away. He served in Korea,' Robert Whiting, the commander at Post 5658, said. 'I have brothers and uncles who have passed away from military service.'
Across the country, this same message of gratitude for those who gave their lives in service was shared with honor.
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'Even the ones that were drafted and forced to go, they served our country with dignity, with honor,' Hubbard said. 'It's just a little thing that we could do to say thank you.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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