Memorial Day ceremony is Monday
Published 6:39 pm Tuesday, May 20, 2014
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7016 and American Legion Post 90 will host a Memorial Day service on Monday, at the veterans monument in front of Atmore City Hall.
The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. Mayor Jim Staff will welcome those in attendance, and Lana Langford will sing the national anthem.
VFW Post 7016 member Larry Houck said that the groups would not be replacing the U.S. flag this year, and the flag would be at half-mast for the ceremony.
During the ceremony, the names on the veterans monument will be read, while American Legion member and bugler Leo Odom plays “Taps.” At the conclusion of the roll call, there will also be a 21-gun salute.
The keynote speaker will be Commander Sgt. Major Jackie Gedling. Gedling was a high-ranking officer in the Army National Guard’s 771th Signal Battalion in Mobile, which fought in the war in Iraq.
Houck said that everyone is welcome to attend Monday’s ceremony.
“We’re definitely inviting the citizens of Atmore and the surrounding areas, because it’s their veterans that we’re honoring,” he said. “We only ask them to bring their own lawn chairs, because there will only be limited seating provided by the city.”