Memorial Day flag placement, ceremony to take place at Alexandria National Cemetery

The Alexandria VA Medical Center will host a flag placement on Saturday and a Memorial Day program at the Alexandria National Cemetery, 209 East Shamrock Street in Pineville, according to a press release.

Starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, members of the public are invited to help place flags on the 7,816 graves at the cemetery in preparation for Monday’s ceremony. This is an annual tradition that has drawn widespread community interest with flags placed in about 30 minutes.

The Memorial Day program will begin at 9:45 a.m. The Pineville First United Methodist Choir will start the program with a musical prelude. Cheneyville Mayor Derrick Johnson will be the guest speaker. Veteran organizations will place wreaths for each branch of the military which will be followed by a rifle salute and the playing of Taps.

In case of bad weather, the ceremony will be moved to the Alexandria VA Medical Center’s Auditorium, Building 8, 2495 Shreveport Highway, Pineville. To confirm location of program, call (318) 473-0010.

A National Moment of Remembrance will take place nationwide at 3 p.m. Monday to remember and honor service members who died in service to our country.

“Congress established this National Moment of Remembrance to put the ‘memorial’ back in Memorial Day and to reclaim its original purpose of honoring America’s fallen heroes,” states the release. “The time was chosen because mid-afternoon is when many Americans are enjoying the freedoms ensured by those who fought to preserve them. The one-minute pause in activities is not intended to replace Memorial Day ceremonies, but to highlight the purpose of Memorial Day and to reflect on the sacrifice of those who died for our freedom.”

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Memorial Day flag placement, ceremony to take place at Alexandria National Cemetery