Memorial Day: A day of remembrance in Utah and across the nation

Memorial Day is always a special occasion on which Americans pay tribute to military personnel who died during their service to our country. 

In the Beehive State and elsewhere in America, for instance, small American flags are placed at the grave sites of honorees by dedicated volunteers. 

The observance began in the wake of the Civil War and was initially known as “Decoration Day.” According to the Wounded Warrior Project, the day’s purpose was to honor troops who died, including by decorating their graves. The practice continues today. In 1971, it became a federal holiday observed on the last Monday in May.

This weekend, volunteers from my Disabled American Veterans Chapter will be placing flags at the graves of military personnel buried at Murray City Cemetery in West Jordan. 

At Sunset Veterans Park, a wreath, flowers, and other items will adorn the area near the partially constructed Agent Orange Memorial, which honors victims of toxic chemical exposure. The somber and patriotic decorations will be placed at the towering orange-colored monument by members of the nonprofit Utah Agent Orange Veterans Foundation. 

While there will not be a ceremony, the chairman of the foundation, Larry Kerr, encourages visitors to pay their respects just the same. 

Visitors are welcome to bring flowers or wreaths for placement at the memorial. While there, they can learn about wartime and post-war casualties of chemical exposure by reading the information stands near the monument.

As work on the memorial continues, there is now an additional way to honor friends and family members who have died from exposure to Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals. The Utah Agent Orange Veterans Foundation recently began selling personalized bricks and keepsakes. 

Memorial Day is a day to remember the sacrifice military personnel made for us. The amazing dedication of Utah volunteers who help make that day memorable is tremendously gratifying.