By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — Several communities around St. Joseph County marked the Memorial Day holiday Monday with events, remembrances, and salutes, remembering those who lost their lives serving the United States.
In Three Rivers, the city had its annual parade step off around 10 a.m., led by the honor guard from the American Legion. The parade stopped briefly over at the bridge overlooking the Portage River, where the traditional tossing of an anchor-shaped wreath into the river was done to commemorate those who have been lost at sea. Following that, a 21-gun volley was performed and bugler Elizabeth Cabrera Lopez from the Three Rivers High School Wildcat Marching Band sounded Taps.
The parade then continued on to Riverside Cemetery, where a brief ceremony was held honoring servicemembers lost in the line of duty. Another volley was done and the playing of Taps was performed again by Cabrera Lopez and Addison Ludwig, and a list of local veterans who have passed away in the last year was read out.
American Legion Chaplain Norm Stutesman, who led the ceremony at the cemetery, noted the significance of this year’s ceremony, given the damage Riverside Cemetery sustained in the March 6 tornado. Most of the damage was in the front area of the cemetery, which holds the veterans’ monument where the ceremony is held. A few flagpoles were damaged in the storm, with trees fallen near the memorial area.
On Monday, attendees saw flagpoles back up and the grass tended to well, with American flags at many of the graves of veterans in front of the memorial.
“We were concerned about that, when the tornado hit and it pretty much pulverized the cemetery,” Stutesman said in following the ceremony. “They have done fantastic as far as getting this ready for today. We didn’t know how many flagpoles would be up, because those were knocked down except for the American flag.”
Stutesman said the importance of Memorial Day comes down to remembering those who died for the freedoms many enjoy today, and those who recently passed.
“It’s paying homage to those veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Stutesman said following the ceremony. “There are a lot of them who perished during a war, but then there are also a lot of them who lived and made it through the war and came home, and then eventually passed on. So, we pay tribute to all veterans who have passed.”
At noon Monday, Mendon held their annual Memorial Day festivities. It started with the playing of the National Anthem by the Mendon High School Marching Band, along with a flyover done by retired Army pilot Brian Riley. A brief ceremony was held just before the parade got going at the Mendon Township Library, with an address from retired Army Col. Kathryn Prater and a wreath placed at the library’s World War II memorial, followed by a volley and Taps.
Following the parade were two other brief ceremonies and wreath layings. The first was held at the cemetery across from St. Edward The Confessor Catholic Church, led by Deacon Tom Thamann, with a wreath laying, volley, and Taps. The last was held at Mendon Township Cemetery, with the same protocol as the other ceremonies.
In her address prior to the parade, Prater, who served for 20 years in the Michigan National Guard, including deployments to Kosovo and Iraq, said Memorial Day isn’t simply a celebration of military service, it honors and remembers those who gave their lives.
“In communities like Mendon, that remembrance feels especially personal. The names we honor today were not strangers. They’re sons and daughters, classmates and neighbors, parents, friends, and members of this community,” Prater said. “As veterans, citizens and family members, we gather today with a shared responsibility, to remember those who gave everything in service of our nation.”
In all, Stutesman from the Three Rivers American Legion said, the remembrance was the key part of the day’s events.
“We feel this is the one thing we can do to honor all veterans,” Stutesman said. “We’ve got a lot of veterans here, and we had a nice turnout today.”
Earlier in the day, Constantine held their ceremonies, which included a parade led by members of the Constantine American Legion. A memorial ceremony followed at the Constantine Township Cemetery following the parade.
Other parades and ceremonies were held in Centreville, Sturgis, and Colon.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
