In light of the current health situation, the Marysville Memorial Day Committee will conduct a private ceremony to honor the deceased servicemen and servicewomen from Union County.
Bo Johnstone, Chairman of the Memorial Day Committee, said the group is not publicizing the time of the event in an attempt to keep the public from attending.
He said the committee is working to make the ceremony available for viewing online, but further information is not available at the time.
In preparation for Memorial Day each year, Johnstone said veterans and community organizations place a small U.S. flag on the grave of each veteran. Oakdale Cemetery will have over 1,250 flags flying, marking the graves of those who served our nation.
As residents celebrate the Memorial Day weekend, Johnstone asked that they take time to pause and reflect on the cost of freedom.
While most ceremonies honoring the dead have been canceled or changed, he said the public can still visit a cemetery, look for graves marked with a flag and say, “Thank you.”
The private ceremonies will honor all military veterans who have died, with special attention to those lost at sea or killed in action.
Short services will take place at the Catholic Cemetery, conducted by VFW Post 3320 and at Amrine Cemetery, conducted by American Legion Post 79.
Special honorees this year include: Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, military families and Gold Star Mothers and Major General Oscar C. Decker, Jr., U.S. Army (Retired), as well as the Chairman Emeritus of the Memorial Day Committee. The 75th anniversary of the end of World War II will also be honored.
Pastor Josh Huff, Youth Pastor at Marysville Church of the Nazarene, will serve as the Chaplain. U.S. Navy and Coast Guard veterans will present the wreath.
Two outstanding local high school students will also participate in the ceremonies. Kalor Greve, a 2020 graduate of Fairbanks High School and the VFW Voice of Democracy local winner and eight place state finisher, and Aubrey Tillman, a rising senior at Fairbanks and the American Legion Auxiliary Buckeye Girls State Winner, will participate.
Multiple wreaths will be posted, including six to honor the organizations comprising the Memorial Day Committee, one in remembrance of all Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, 11 wreaths to honor the veterans of the major conflicts in which the U.S. has been involved and one for all those who have served in the United States Military.
The VFW-sponsored Union County Honor Guard will provide military honors.
The Marysville Memorial Day Ceremonies are sponsored by the Memorial Day Committee with representatives of American Legion Post 79, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3320, Disable American Veterans Chapter 55, American Veterans Post 28, Blue Star Mothers Chapter 22, Hannah Emerson Dustin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 40 & 8 Voiture #857 and the American Legion Post 79 and VFW Post Ladies Auxiliaries.