Memorial Day in Door County: Remember our veterans at these local ceremonies

DOOR COUNTY - The Memorial Day weekend is considered a kickoff weekend for summer fun, but its also time to remember its original purpose, to remember U.S. military veterans who are no longer with us.

Four American Legion posts in Door County hold ceremonies over the weekend to remember those veterans who served this country, with one taking place Sunday and the other three Monday. Here's a look at what's taking place.

Southern Door

George W. Goetz American Legion Post of Forestville will conduct brief ceremonies with a rifle salute and playing of taps Sunday, May 26, at 24 cemeteries in southern Door County, followed by a special memorial ceremony and potluck lunch.

The cemetery visits are at 7:20 a.m. at Forestville Town, 7:30 a.m. at Pit Road in Namur, 7:40 a.m. at Brockhausen, 7:50 a.m. at Miesere, 7:55 a.m. at Brown (these first five are with split squads), 8:05 a.m. at Kolberg, 8:20 a.m. at Brussels, 8:30 a.m. at White Star, 8:40 a.m. at Precious Blood, 8:50 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic, 9 a.m. at Stevenson, 9:10 a.m. at Geises, 9:55 a.m. at Maplewood, 10:10 a.m. at Carnot, 10:25 a.m. at Clay Banks, 10:35 a.m. at Vignes, 10:45 a.m. at Mount Olive, 10:55 a.m. at Shiloh Moravian, 11:05 a.m. at Schumacher, 11:15 a.m. at Hainesville, 11:35 a.m. at Salem-Schulties, 11:50 a.m. Forestville and 12:10 p.m. at Old Catholic between Maplewood and Forestville.

Then, a special ceremony commemorating local veterans who died in the past 10 years will be held at Forestville Town Hall at about 12:30 p.m., with a flag placed at town hall for each of those departed veterans and a potluck lunch for Legion members. Guests are asked to bring a dish of any kind to pass.

The post's honor guard also will present the colors for the Kolberg Braves' baseball game when they host the Institute Cubs in Door County League action at 1:30 p.m.

Sturgeon Bay

Brief ceremonies will be conducted Monday, May 27, by members of American Legion Post 72 at Bayside Cemetery at 8:30 a.m., St. Joseph’s cemetery at 9 a.m. and Sturgeon Bay Health Services (the former Dorchester facility, 200 N. Seventh Ave.) at 9:30 a.m. before the main ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Sturgeon Bay Fire Department, 421 Michigan St. The public is asked to bring lawn chairs because seating will be limited.

The Peninsula Symphonic Band will play patriotic music before and during the ceremony. Following the invocation, veterans in attendance and families of vets will be acknowledged, along with all Door County veterans killed in action. A rifle squad and playing of taps will salute them.

Sister Bay

Billy Weiss American Legion Post 527 of Sister Bay holds its Memorial Day ceremonies starting at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 27, at Little Sister Cemetery, on Little Sister Road next to Bay Ridge Golf Course.

The Gibraltar Band will open the event by playing patriotic songs under the direction of veteran Charlie Eckhardt, and veterans will present the colors at the memorial flagpole in the cemetery before "The Star-Spangled Banner." Following the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation is a speech by Fond du Lac County Executive Sam Kaufman. Post 527 Commander Tom Kowalski will read a poem for veterans and Don Sitte will read the names of those vets from Northern Door County who died in the past year.

Musical selections during the program include patriotic music sung by a choir and played by the Gibraltar Band, and Legion Bugler Dale Seaquist will be joined by Eckhardt to sound taps for a 78th consecutive year. To close the ceremony, Regina Burlo will lead a singing of "God Bless America."

If planning to attend, bring a chair. The location for inclement weather will be at First Baptist Church, 2622 S. Bay Shore Drive (State 42), Sister Bay.

Washington Island

American Legion Post 402 holds its ceremony on the Island at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 27, at Bethel Church, on Main Road and Jackson Harbor Road. Along with prayers and a speech, a reading of essays will be given by three Island students and a singalong will be held of patriotic songs.

This year's speech is by Thor Williamson on the legacy of military service by the Island's Williamson/Perez family, who saw a number of its members lost or wounded in action, such as Williamson's grandfather who was wounded in the Korean War.

After the church ceremony, guests can go to the town cemetery, about a quarter-mile away, for the laying of a memorial wreath, a roll call of the names of the more than 300 veterans from the Island who have died, a rifle squad salute and playing of taps. Guests can then continue just past the cemetery to Schoolhouse Beach for a prayer, rifle salute and playing of taps, with a wreath laid on the beach.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Veterans remembered at 2024 Memorial Day ceremonies in Door County