A crowd gathered in the heart of downtown Gaylord on Memorial Day to honor the legacy of U.S. military members who died in service to their country.
The city’s annual parade featured scouts, nonprofits, the Gaylord High School marching band and local veterans.
“When we first started doing this, we only really had 20 to 30 people. Now we have crowds, andthey just keep getting bigger every year,” said Ron LeBourdais, commander of the Ralph Holewinski VFW Post 1518.
The remembrance ceremony included the folding of a 20’x30’ American flag, a wreath presentation and several speakers.
Guest speaker Sergeant David Hyde spoke about the importance of intentional reflection on the meaning of Memorial Day.
“Today causes us to pause and reflect. To remember that liberty always carries a cost,” he said. “Let us remember with gratitude.”
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Gaylord’s Memorial Day commemoration honors local veterans
Reporting by Emily Jorgenson, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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