The VFW Post 2256 in partnership with Saline County, is hosting a Memorial Day Ceremony at the Saline County Courthouse at 11 a.m. on Memorial Day, May 29.
After the success of the Vietnam veteran’s memorial ceremony hosted at the courthouse in March, Trevor Villines, county communications director, is looking forward to this special ceremony.
“I think after everything we did with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and getting a lot of compliments from the community, seeing the impact of it, we want to do more to honor the veterans across the county. That’s been one of County Judge Matt Brumley’s big focuses, just trying to do our part to appreciate these guys, remember them and let them know they aren’t forgotten,” said Villines.
The ceremony will be held at the veteran’s memorial at the Saline County Courthouse, a unique monument erected by Saline County citizens.
“I think we’re blessed to have such a beautiful memorial, when they put it in, they did right. Honoring all the people with their names on the bricks. It’s just an a amazing tribute and you go to so many other counties across the state and they don’t have one, that could be for a number of reasons, but the people of Saline County really came together when they put this memorial up. From the headstones to the bricks to the flags of each U.S. military branch, it shows what we stand for in Saline County,” said Villines of the county’s monument honoring its veterans and soldiers.
There will be six large American flags set up around the courthouse memorial, similar to the set up for the Vietnam veteran’s memorial ceremony. The six flags represent the various conflicts Arkansans have lost their lives in, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the first Gulf War and the post-9/11 wars. Villines said that upon research they found that 6,035 Arkansans lost their lives in those six conflicts.
The ceremony will include an opening and closing prayer, tap performances, speeches, a performance of the National Anthem and the laying of a wreath on the memorial itself to honor the fallen soldiers.
Villines said the plans started coming together about a month ago when Stephen Davis, Post Commander of VFW Post 2256 and Villines said the county has been assisting in any way they can through social media promotion, organizing and spreading the word about the ceremony.
The event is free and open to the public, all are encouraged to attend.
