Latest news with #MemorialDayObservance
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
World War II soldier from Gravette killed during D-Day invasion to be buried next month
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A World War II soldier from Gravette who was killed during the D-Day invasion in Normandy will be buried next month, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Monday. Sanders said during her remarks at the 2025 Memorial Day Observance at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock that U.S. Army Private Rodger D. Andrews, 18, will be laid to rest at a family plot on June 9, more than 81 years after his death. Andrews had been reported as missing in action (MIA) until June 5, 2024, when the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified his remains. The DPAA made the announcement on Oct. 2. One year later: Decatur residents reflect on progress after tornado He was assigned in June 1944 to Company C of the 37th Engineer Combat Battalion in the European Theater. Andrews was killed in action on the night of June 6, 1944, when Allied forces that had landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy 'suffered heavy losses from enemy shelling and strafing by enemy aircraft', according to his service member profile. However, it is not known exactly what happened to Andrews during the battle, 'Unfortunately, he did not live to see his 19th birthday,' Sanders said during her remarks on Monday. Andrews' remains were buried as an unknown in the United States Military Cemetery St. Laurent (now called the Normandy American Cemetery) on June 13, 1944, as they could not be conclusively identified at the time. The U.S. Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission personnel exhumed Andrews' remains from the Normandy American Cemetery for scientific analysis in March 2019. Andrews' remains were initially designated X-48 St. Laurent, and he was found to be wearing a belt with the initials 'R.D.A.' Gateway mayor and murder victim's sister reacts to Arkansas prisoner escape 'However, because items of clothing could have been traded amongst different servicemembers and due to physical similarities between X-48 and other missing servicemembers being too close for officials to make a definite association, the AGRC was unable to identify the remains,' a news release from DPAA in October said. DPAA received a request from Andrews' family in December 2014 to devote more time to locating him. Historians reviewed other Omaha Beach losses and reassessed the circumstances of his death. They noted the initials on the belt found with 'X-48' as a possible association. 'After additional historical and scientific comparisons between the personnel data of missing servicemembers from Omaha Beach and the attributes of X-48, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission workers exhumed the Unknown in March 2019 and transferred the remains to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis,' the release said. Scientists identified Andrews' remains by using anthropological, dental and other circumstantial evidence. His name is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Memorial Day ceremony at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens
The 58th annual Memorial Day ceremony at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium on Monday paid tribute to fallen service members with ties to Maryland, honoring U.S. Armed Forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the United States of America. Upon receiving to honor Specialist Jacob W. Mullen who died at 25 years old, his mother Linda Mullen weeps while consoled by Major General Janeen L. Birckhead, Adjutant General of the Maryland National Guard during the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ternell Fisher of Towson, retired from the U.S. Navy is silhouetted in front of flags placed on the graves in background while listening to speakers during the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) A wreath is carried by members with the U.S. Marines to place in honor of Marylanders who died in Vietnam and Iraq who are buried in and around the Circle of the Immortals, and for four Maryland MIAs, during the annual Memorial Day Observance at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Three generations of family sit together, with Margaret Arnold, left reaching out to granddaughter Layomi Adedeji 16, as she lays her head on the shoulder of her mother Nicole Arnold while they honor Army P.F.C. Charles M. Hyman, who died on June 8, 2024 at 33 years old during the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) A wreath is carried by members with the U.S. Marines to place in honor of Marylanders who died in Vietnam and Iraq who are buried in and around the Circle of the Immortals, and for four Maryland MIAs, during the annual Memorial Day Observance at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Members of the U.S. Marines hold the Colors during the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Spectators watch the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Spectators watch a rifle volley during the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Liam Abbey, 15 of Rising Sun, a member with the u.S. Naval Sea Cadets looks up as the Star-Spangled Banner is played during the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Linda Willey, a Gold Star Mother accepts the Loved and Lost presentation honoring Staff Sergeant Sean A. Lange, who died on Aug. 25, 2024 which is given by Major General Janeen L. Birkhead, the Adjutant General of the Maryland National Guard during the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) From left, Jaheim Brown, lower left, Charles Griffin, Tenessa Davenport, Malik Brown and William Brown mourn the loss of Specialist William T. Brown III, who was 30 years old when he died, during the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) The Colors are carried during the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Major General Janeen L. Birkhead, the Adjutant General of the Maryland National Guard speaks during the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Relatives and friends of the ten Marylanders who lost their lives in service to the nation sit together during the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) A slow shutter speed reveals movement as members of the 229th Army Band play while marching past graves adorned with small flags during the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Show Caption1 of 16The Colors are advanced past small flags which rise from graves at the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Circle of Immortals, inside Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Expand
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Memorial Day events across L.A. County to honor fallen soldiers
Communities across Southern California will commemorate Memorial Day with ceremonies, parades, concerts and family events honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Here's a look at the festivities happening across Los Angeles County. Forest Lawn locations throughout Los Angeles County will host Memorial Day events featuring keynote addresses, patriotic music and ceremonial wreath presentations. Events begin at 10 a.m. in Covina Hills, Long Beach, Cypress and Hollywood, with an additional 1 p.m. ceremony at Forest Lawn Glendale. Fiesta Hermosa, Hermosa Beach's annual Memorial Day weekend festival, will hold a remembrance ceremony from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Monday at the Acoustic Stage on Pier Plaza and the Strand. In San Pedro, LA Fleet Week wraps up with a Memorial Day Observance at 5:15 p.m. in front of the USS Battleship Iowa, 250 S. Harbor Blvd. The event will include a presentation of colors and a keynote speaker. Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes will host a 10 a.m. observance with skydivers, a mounted color procession, flyovers and music by the Caber Feidh Pipe Band. Lakewood will hold its annual tribute at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Plaza in Del Valle Park. This year's keynote speaker is Jim Zenner, an Iraq War veteran and director of the L.A. County Department of Military & Veterans Affairs. Inglewood will host its Memorial Day Service from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the South Mall, 1 W. Manchester Ave. Redondo Beach will hold a 1 p.m. ceremony at Veterans Park, 309 Esplanade, with retired Rear Adm. Sandy Adams as the keynote speaker. The 33rd Annual Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade begins with an opening ceremony at 10 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. parade along Sherman Way from Owensmouth Avenue to Cozycroft Street. This year's theme honors fallen Canoga Park High School graduates. In Burbank, a 10 a.m. ceremony at McCambridge Park War Memorial will include a Condor Squadron flyover and a performance by the Burbank Community Band. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Memory lives on: Area West Point grad to commemorate the fallen
When Lt. Ben Meure visits Diamond Park on Monday, he'll be in familiar territory. 'I feel like I've been going to the Memorial Day Observance for as long as I can remember, especially with my dad,' Meure said earlier this week. This time, the whole family will be there and there will be an important difference: Instead of being part of the crowd surrounding the gazebo bedecked with stars and stripes, the 2018 Meadville Area Senior High (MASH) graduate will be the parade marshal and keynote speaker. 'It's a real big honor for them to ask me,' Meure said, 'and I'm really excited to be able to do this — really looking forward to it.' Meure has been busy since he graduated from MASH. Just a few weeks later, his parents, Tracy and Christopher, dropped him off at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. Four years later, Ben graduated and was commissioned in the Army as a finance and comptroller officer. Since then, his Army career took him to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where he was the distinguished honor graduate of the Army's Finance and Comptroller Officer Basic Course. Next, Meure was part of the finance staff for 'America's First Team,' the 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Cavazos, Texas. Today, he's stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he works in financial management. After training at West Point that often emphasized the skills needed for a combat platoon leader, Meure said his focus on finance has involved a bit of a learning curve. 'You learn more about the army and the Defense Department as an industry, almost, and how the government works,' he said. 'It's like a really big civics class.' It's also a timely lesson. 'It's awesome to learn about how the government really works and it definitely ties into a lot of current events,' Meure added. 'What you're seeing on the news definitely impacts all of our Army, but my career field specifically.' Meure and Rachel Popovich, his girlfriend, try to make the drive from North Carolina, along with their two dogs, to visit family about every month, but having them in town for Memorial Day is particularly gratifying for Joe Galbo, who chairs the committee that organizes the annual observance. 'It's always a special moment when we have folks from the Meadville area to be able to come back to speak,' Galbo said. 'To have a MASH grad, a West Point grad — that's a pretty special thing.' Having secured Meure's appearance, Galbo is most looking forward to what he hopes will be good weather for the occasion. Due to the threat of inclement weather last year, the parade was canceled and the observance was moved to Meadville Central Fire Department. If something similar happens this year, Galbo said, the observance, which begins at 11 a.m., will be moved to the Downtown Mall. If necessary, the move will be announced Sunday. In addition to Meure, Galbo said, a special guest will also be present: Denis Queva, the former city administrator of Fismes, France, Meadville's sister city and the place that about 150 soldiers from Meadville's Company B, 112th Infantry, 28th Division, liberated from German occupation in September 1918. The fighting in the Battle of Fismes and Fismette claimed the lives of about 13,000 American soldiers. Queva and others in the tiny city are preparing to mark the centennial, in 2028, of the original construction of a bridge that replaced the one destroyed by the retreating Germans. A contribution of nearly $43,000 helped make construction of the replacement bridge possible. The actions of those Crawford County natives far from their homes, and the efforts of others more than a century later to remember and honor them, fit well with the topic of the address Meure has planned for Monday. 'For many stand the few' — the motto of the West Point class of 2022 of which he was part — will be his theme. 'That really epitomizes what it means to serve,' Meure said. 'For every service member that has given the ultimate sacrifice, there's a mom, a dad, wife, husband, son, daughter — they continue to live that legacy.' The address will encourage listeners to not let such sacrifices go unremarked but to remember 'and to live fuller lives for it.' 'Let this not just be about barbecues and summer starting,' Meure said, 'but remember those who have sacrificed for our nation.' YOU CAN GO The city of Meadville's Memorial Day events begin at 10 a.m. Monday with a parade from Water Street to Poplar Street and then north on Market Street before turning east on Chestnut Street to Diamond Park. The observance begins at 11 in Diamond Park and continues until noon when Meadville-area churches traditionally toll their bells. Portions of parade streets will close at about 9 a.m. and reopen shortly after the parade. Diamond Park itself will be closed to traffic from around 9 a.m. until noon.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
28th annual Memorial Day Observance ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park & Museum
The Brief The 28th annual Memorial Day Observance ceremony is being held at the Veterans Memorial Park & Museum on Sunday at 10 a.m. Local Gold Star family members will be honored with "Garden of Gold" pictorial flags. Attendees will be greeted by an enormous American flag soaring more than 150 feet over the entrance to Veterans Memorial Park. TAMPA - The 28th annual Memorial Day Observance ceremony will take place at Veterans Memorial Park & Rear Admiral LeRoy Collins, Jr. Veterans Museum on Sunday at 10 a.m. Local Gold Star family members will be honored with "Garden of Gold" pictorial flags and attendees will be greeted by an enormous American flag soaring more than 150 feet over the entrance to Veterans Memorial Park. The celebration will honor veterans and their families who made the ultimate sacrifice. Local perspective In attendance will be a few special guests: Col. Jeff J. Mrazik, Commander, 6th Operations Group, MacDill Air Force Base, Retired U.S. Army Col. Alfred "Al" Carter, Chief of Staff, Florida Department of Veteran Affairs and Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC). A rifle salute and taps will also be a part of the ceremony. READ: Manatee County World War II veteran receives highest honor from France Hillsborough County's Veterans Memorial Park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission and parking. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was provided by Hillsborough County. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
