Stillwater Memorial Day Ceremony To Honor Fallen Soldiers Monday

STILLWATER, MN — The Stillwater Veterans Memorial is set to host the city’s annual Memorial Day ceremony Monday to honor local residents who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

The one-hour ceremony will feature singers and a band, a speaker, and a flyover around noon, according to organizers. Residents should bring their own lawn chairs to the ceremony, as seating will be limited.

The tradition of honoring veterans who died in military service in late May dates back to 1868, when Gen. John A. Logan called for a day of remembrance to honor the lives of Union soldiers who were killed during the Civil War that had ended just a few years earlier.

Stillwater Students Win Awards For Work On Pony Express, Yearbook

Logan called it "Decoration Day," which it was known as for several years. As time passed, more and more people called it Memorial Day, and it became a federal holiday in 1971.

Until World War I, Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, was only meant to honor those who died while fighting for the union in the Civil War, as Southern states honored their war dead on a separate day. After the 116,000-plus American deaths in World War I, the holiday took on a new role to remember all who have died while serving in the military.

Stillwater Prison To Open Tattoo Shop To Lower Hepatitis C Infections

Every year, a national moment of remembrance is held at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. The midday time was chosen "because it is the time when many Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday," according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

REGIONAL NEWS:

• WCCO's Jason DeRusha To 'Take A Leap,' Step Away From Anchor Desk
• Man Charged In Crash That Killed Maple Grove Man, Injured Wife
• ‘Medium’ COVID-19 Risk In Washington County As Cases Climb In MN: CDC
• $37K Raised To Help Family Of Stillwater Teen Who Died Saving Friend