Door County remembers its veterans over the Memorial Day weekend. Here's where and how
DOOR COUNTY - Four American Legion posts on the Peninsula are holding ceremonies for military veterans — and those who support them — to remember those who have died. Here's a look at those ceremonies.
Southern Door
Taking place Sunday, George W. Goetz American Legion Post of Forestville will conduct brief ceremonies with a rifle salute and playing of taps 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, 7:30 a.m. at Namur, 7:40 a.m. at Brockhausen, 7:50 a.m. at Miesere, 7:55 a.m. at Brown, 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, 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 12:15 p.m., with 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 Maplewood Mets' baseball game when they host Washington Island in Door County League action at 1:30 p.m.
For more information, visit the Post 372 auxiliary's Facebook page at facebook.com/Post372.
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Sister Bay
Billy Weiss American Legion Post 527 of Sister Bay and VFW Post 8337 of Ellison Bay have two ceremonies planned for the morning of Memorial Day.
Their remembrances open with a wreath-laying ceremony at 9 a.m. at the veterans memorial marker in Hendrickson Park, at State 42 and Mill Road.
The main ceremony starts at 10:30 a.m. 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. Following "The Star-Spangled Banner," veterans will assemble and post flags at the gravesites of veterans throughout the cemetery. Veteran Michael McCarty will deliver a speech and Chaplain Lynn Nelson will read the names of deceased vets from Northern Door County.
Musical selections during the program include patriotic music sung by a choir and played by the Gibraltar Band, and Legion Bugler Dale Seaquist will sound taps for a 76th consecutive year. To close the ceremony, Regina McIntosh 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.
Sturgeon Bay
Brief ceremonies will be conducted Monday by members of American Legion Post 72 at Bayside Cemetery at 9 a.m. and St. Joseph’s cemetery at 9:20 a.m. before the main ceremony at 10 a.m. in the bays 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 the ceremony as well as "The Star-Spangled Banner." An invocation will be delivered by the Rev. James Gomez of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, names will be read of all Door County veterans killed in action and Beth Wartella, director of the county's Veterans Service Office, will give a speech. A rifle squad and playing of taps will salute the veterans.
Washington Island
American Legion Post 402 holds its ceremony on the Island at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Bethel Church, on Main Road and Jackson Harbor Road.
Marcia Carr, the daughter of World War II veteran and late Island native Harley Hanson, will give a speech on her father's lengthy service in the military. There will be a reading of essays by Island students, and a singalong will be held.
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 roughly 275 veterans interred there, 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 920-741-7952, 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Memorial Day in Door County: Peninsula will remember veterans
