Local organizations are conducting events around the Memorial Day holiday to recognize servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. The Richmond AmVets Post #107 will hold ceremonies on Memorial Day at the Sharon Hill Cemetery’s Unknown Soldiers Monument in Kalona at 10:15 a.m. Along with the Mid-Prairie Marching Band. Those same groups will then travel to the Richmond Catholic and Public Cemeteries for services. Mid-Prairie students will assemble the Avenue of Flags at Sharon Hill Cemetery beginning at 8:30 a.m. Friday, May 28th. They will remain up through Monday.

Yesterday, members of Riverside VFW Post #6414 placed flags and crosses on veterans graves at the St. Vincent and St. Stanislaus Cemeteries. Today they will place poles for the Avenue of Flags at the Mt. Olivet Cemetery and Riverside Public Cemetery with the flags to be raised at 7 a.m. Sunday. On Friday, flags and crosses will be placed at the Mt. Olivet and Riverside Public Cemeteries beginning at 5:30 p.m. On the Memorial Day holiday, services will be held at 10 a.m. at the Riverside Public Cemetery. These include vocal performances, prayer, Boy Scout, Cub Scout and Girl Scout presentations, a Memorial Day address, Presentation of Arms and Taps. The Post Honor Guard and Auxiliary Color Bearers will then travel to St. Vincent and St. Stanislaus Cemeteries for the Presentation of Arms and stop at the English River bridge south of Riverside to honor those lost at sea. A luncheon will be served at the post at noon to honor veterans and their guests.

The Wellman American Legion Post #427 is holding Memorial Day services at the Wellman Cemetery at 9 a.m. The Mid-Prairie Marching Band will perform, followed by a 21-gun salute by the post Honor Guard and a speech from Post Commander Chuck Singleman.