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Washington County

Posted: May 22, 2020 12:08 PMUpdated: May 22, 2020 12:13 PM

American Legion Post 334 to Host Memorial Day Services

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Garrett Giles

The American Legion Post #334 will hold several Memorial Day services on Monday morning.

Lester Gagan said they have been honoring the holiday and our nation's veterans for several decades. He said they elected not to cancel their service this year because they felt like they needed to do to pay tribute to our veterans.

Despite COVID-19, Gagan said they will not limit the number of people in attendance since the memorial services will be held outside. They will practice safe distancing while they honor those who have sacrificed everything for our freedoms.

Gagan said he believe plenty of people will show up, keep their distance from others, and probably wear masks during the event. He said he knows people want to be there and honor veterans on Memorial Day.

Small American flags were placed by veteran's graves at the Ramona Cemetery on Friday, and will stay there until Monday evening. At 9:00 a.m. on Memorial Day, the American Legion Post #334 will be at the Oglesby Cemetery to play taps, raise the colors and perform a 21 gun salute. From Oglesby, the group will go to the Matoka Cemetery, the Ochelata Cemetery and the Ramona Cemetery in that order. Here are the estimated times for each service:

  • Oglesby Cemetery - 9:00 a.m.
  • Matoaka Cemetery - 9:40 a.m.
  • Ochelata Cemetery - 10:30 a.m.
  • Ramona Cemetery - 11:20 a.m.

At the Ramona Cemetery, Gagan said they will raise an American flag from half-mast to full mast right at noon. He said there will be a guest speaker following the salute at the Ramona Cemetery.

After the ceremony in Ramona, Gagan said the American Legion Post #334 will serve hot dogs, chips and soft drinks at their building, which is located at 400 Veterans Boulevard. The lunch will take place around noon.

The American Legion Post #334 will manage to do this service through potential rain showers and a global pandemic. Gagan said if you stop and think about it, we would not have the freedoms we have today if it weren't for our veteran. He said we owe something back to them - rain or shine - for their service and their sacrifice.

Serving the community is what the American Legion Post #334 does. Gagan said they mainly operate on donations. He said they served meals to approximately 225 people on Wednesday. That included law enforcement, nurses, and others that are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The American Legion Post #334 in Ramona loves serving the public. Gagan said they will do anything they can to support the community.


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