Julie Davis
jdavis@cherryroad.com

The Nebraska City Veterans Memorial Building and Wyuka Cemetery will the sites for weekend observances of the Memorial Day holiday.

Tomorrow (Saturday, May 24) at 10 a.m., six veterans will be presented with Quilts of Valor by the Blue Star Mothers of Nebraska Chapter 1 Nebraska City.

Honorees will be Wallace Bettis, Nebraska City; Al Dowell, Nebraska City: Wilbert Fey, Nebraska City; Colter Krohn, Adell, Iowa; David Nelson, Lincoln; and Kevin Royer, Gretna. Royer and Nelson are Nebraska City natives.

At 10 a.m. Monday, May 26, American Legion Post 8 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2634 will host a Memorial Day Service at the new flagpole at Wyuka Cemetery. Attendees are asked to bring chairs for the approximately half-hour service.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed every year on the last Monday in May. It honors those who died serving in the United States military.

In the United States, Memorial Day weekend kicks off the start of the summer season and with Labor Day weekend ending the summer. Most government and businesses offices will be closed on this day.

Armed Forces Day, which was observed May 17, honors those who currently serve in the military and Veterans Day, observed Nov. 11, honors men and women who have previously served in the United States military.

The first national observance of Memorial Day occurred May 30, 1868. The holiday was originally known as Decoration Day because families of Civil War soldiers and veterans would visit and decorate the graves of the fallen servicemen, sailors and Marines.