Plans underway for Memorial Day festivities

LAUREL — Traditional Memorial Day activities are planned here including the decoration of more than 300 veteran graves and a special veteran speaker.

This year’s festivities will be similar to years past, said Dwayne Freeman, Laurel Vets representative, making up the veterans belonging to both the local American Legion and VFW.

U.S. Marine veteran Bob Koenig of Elkhorn will be the featured speaker at the program set for 10 a.m., Monday, May 30, at the Laurel-Concord-Coleridge School.

Koenig went on a seven-day, 140-mile ruck - a military hike with a pack - to raise awareness and money to supply housing for an Afghan interpreter and his extended family. His ruck brought him through northeast Nebraska, making a stop in Laurel last October.

The 140-mile route from Koenig’s home in Elkhorn to his final destination in Hartington is significant because 140 miles is roughly the mileage covered by the interpreter’s family as they fled from eastern Afghanistan to board an evacuation plane at the Kabul airport.

After Koenig’s talk, the public is invited to attend a ceremony at the Laurel Cemetery to honor all veterans buried there. The Laurel Vets will put up a 21-gun salute. Bob Dickey will play “Taps,” with Mariah Barnell providing the echo.

A lunch at the Vet’s Club will take place starting at 11 a.m. The meal is open to the public and a free-will donation will be asked for the meal, Freeman said.

More than 200 flags will be placed at the Laurel Cemetery starting Friday night.

“We started this about 12 to 15 years ago,” Freeman said. “We have a flag with a plaque on the pole indicating which veteran it is for.”

Along with flags, each veteran’s grave is decorated with a cross and flag. With all those flags to place and the decoration of more than 300 graves, community support in the form of volunteers is always appreciated, he said.

At 6 p.m. on Memorial Day, the flags will be taken down - also by volunteers.

“We’re always grateful for the people in our community that help us out,” Freeman said.

Nearby Coleridge will also be celebrating Memorial Day as well with many different activities.

The Avenue of Flags will be put up at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, May 26. The crosses and smaller flags will be put on the veterans’ graves at the cemeteries also at that time.

The Coleridge Community Club will sponsor a pancake feed on Sunday, May 29.

The traditional ceremony will take place at 11 a.m., Monday, May 30, at the Memorial Plaza followed by lunch at the Coleridge Community Building.

Mark Rose of Rodeo’s will cater the roast beef/ham dinner, with mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables, dinner roll and dessert. Pies and dessert are provided by the American Legion Auxiliary members.

The flags will be taken down on Memorial Day at 4 p.m.

Belden will have its annual Memorial Day dinner, serving from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Belden Fire Hall. The dinner of ham, cheesy potatoes, green beans, rolls, salad bar and dessert bar will be available for a free-will donation with proceeds to benefit the Belden Cemetery.

The Concord-Dixon Cemetery Association will hold its annual Memorial Day Service at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, May 29, at Concordia Lutheran Church, Concord. Veterans are invited as special guests and are asked to enter together at the beginning of the program.

At 3:15 p.m., the Laurel Vets Post will present colors, with “Taps,” at the Concord Cemetery.