Legion Family to mark Memorial Day

From traditional ceremonies to new initiatives, The American Legion and Legion Family members across the country will spend the long weekend marking Memorial Day with events that honor the fallen.

The American Legion will once again have a float in the IPL 500 Festival Parade on Saturday, May 27, in the Legion’s National Headquarters city of Indianapolis. The Legion’s float traditionally includes Legion Family members walking alongside, and wounded warriors riding on the float. This year’s float will center on World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker, including a reconstruction of one of his planes.

On Friday, May 26, members of the Department of Illinois will volunteer at the fourth annual Chicago Veterans: Ruck March. More than 1,500 veterans, their families and military supporters are expected to participate in the event, which raises awareness for PTSD and veteran suicide. Participants will wear a 20-pound ruck sack and walk 20 miles through the streets of Chicago to represent the number of veteran suicides daily, and to honor and remember servicemembers lost at home and on the battlefield. Legionnaires will have a tent at the lunch stop to pass out bananas, water and poppies in honor of that day’s National Poppy Day, as well as have a service officer on hand to answer questions and information on Legion membership and other available veteran resources.

Throughout Memorial Day weekend, Richard C. DuPont Post 18 of Claymont, Del., will be set up at a travel stop on I-95 to promote the Legion.

Bothun-Peterson Post 213 of Sherwood, N.D., will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of its remembrance event, exchanging colors with Canadian Legionnaires at the nearby border. A school program, march and wreath-laying is also included.

The American Legion Riders will conduct a weekend of commemorative activities that includes a National Poppy Day-themed ride to a candlelight vigil at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Friday, May 26; a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, May 27; and a group run to the Rolling Thunder event on Sunday, May 28. 

Also around the nation's capital, American Legion staff and leadership will lay wreaths on the organization's behalf: National Vice Commander Paul Espinoza at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Assistant Director for TBI/PTSD Cole Lyle at Arlington National Cemetery. 

Tell The American Legion how your post commemorates Memorial Day, by posting a description and photos to the Legiontown blog.

And make sure that war memorials or monuments (to any conflict) in your area are included in the Legion’s Veterans Memorial Identification Project. If they aren’t, it’s easy to add them.