In Our View: Memorial Day 2025
Memorial Day is here. What many consider the beginning of summer was once called Decoration Day — the day when Americans decorated the graves of those who died fighting our wars.
In 1967, Congress changed it to Memorial Day. Its history dates back to 1868, when General John A. Logan created Decoration Day to decorate the graves of those killed in the Civil War. We've been decorating the graves of our veterans ever since.
This area has always had a strong connection to Memorial Day. Ironton's Memorial Day parade is longest running Memorial Day parade in America. It starts at 10 a.m. today.
Local veteran Mike Wurts is the one who leads the efforts to place an American Flag on each service member's grave.
Thousands of flags are placed on graves each year. Wurts is a frequent attendee at city and county meetings to keep commissioners informed of local happenings for veterans. He doesn't seek attention, but he deserves it for his ongoing efforts.
In 2010, the Kentucky Legislature created the Northeast Kentucky Veterans Cemetery located off the Industrial Parkway near I-64. It may be the prettiest cemetery in our area. We encourage you to pay it a visit.
Kentucky created five veterans cemeteries around the state. The Northeast Kentucky Cemetery has 75 acres and nearly 2,000 burials and internments.
Memorial Day is special. It is much more than a day for a cookout or the start of your vacation. We couldn't enjoy either if it weren't for those who fought for our freedoms.
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