Ortonville- A parade, ceremony and a fly-over are planned to honor veterans on Memorial Day, May 26.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 582 is hosting the event. Lee Stewart, VFW member, said Memorial Day has been observed in this community since the 1870s, after the founding of the Grand Army of the Republic post, a Civil War veterans organization, in town.
A solemn parade, with no floats or horses, will begin lining up at 9 a.m. at the Old Town Hall, 480 Mill St. The parade begins at 9:30 a.m. All veterans are invited to participate, with convertibles available for those not able to walk the parade route, which proceeds down Mill Street to M-15 and north to the Ortonville Cemetery.
All Scout groups and community civic organizations are also invited to participate. The Brandon High School Marching Band will play in the parade and there will be police and fire department escorts, as well as medical coverage provided by the Community Emergency Response Team.
Wreaths will be laid at the World War I Monument located near the Old Town Hall, as well as the World War II Monument, by the sheriff’s substation. A final wreath will be laid at the Veterans Memorial at the cemetery, where Stewart said he expects the parade to arrive at about 10:30 a.m.
A short ceremony at the cemetery will feature keynote speaker Spencer Terrell, who earned his Eagle Scout ranking by rehabilitating the Veterans Memorial at the cemetery as his community service project. Three volleys of musketry will also be fired by the VFW Honor Guard, and a flyover has been requested.
Details: Lee Stewart at 248-627-3324 or Ron Turnbull at 248-627-2447.