Every year I try to attend both the Memorial Day celebration and the Veteran's Day ceremony at the Port Townsend American Legion. My Dad has been an active member of the American Legion in Wisconsin for some 60 years. When I was around 12 I was Poppy Princess one year as I sold the most poppies in our small town. A friend shared this link with me describing the meaning of Memorial Day. I had no idea the tradition started in 1868 as Confederate Memorial Day and was changed to just Memorial Day by Congress in 1971.
This year the rain held off for the local program and I was able to get some photographs of the ceremony that was held on the dock for the placing of the wreaths over the side of the pier. Thanks to all who put on the program inside the Legion, Joe Carey, Karl Bach and the Port Townsend Band and the women of the Legion who put on the luncheon afterwards.
Later in the day I went out to the Cemetery at Fort Worden State Park . It was one of the first times I actually walked around and looked closely at the head stones. Every head stone had a flag on it and I was surprised to see that not only service men and women were buried there but also their spouses and even children. Some one from the community had honored the headstones that listed Unknown by making a special effort to put flowers on every one of those graves.
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