Grafton Memorial Day Commemoration Ceremony Attracts Large Crowd

GRAFTON - The American Legion Post #648 hosted Grafton’s Memorial Day Commemoration Ceremony on Monday, May 30, 2022, at the American Legion Post’s World War I Monument overlooking the Cemetery in Grafton. The ceremony honored the nation’s fallen military members with a twenty-one-gun salute by the Legion’s Honor Guard and the playing of taps.

“We were pleased to see so many people attend the ceremony," said Bruce Olmstead, the Commander of American Legion Post #648. The invocation and short remarks were given by Father Martin Smith, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church of Jerseyville who is a veteran of the Iraq War having served with the 82nd Airborne Division. The keynote speech was delivered by Colonel (Ret.) Michael Morrow, Mayor of Grafton, a veteran of Desert Storm, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Following the speakers, the Legion’s honor guard presented a 21-gun salute followed by the playing of taps.

Terry Day, Chairman of the Grafton’s Veterans Committee, thanked the members of the Committee and the American Legion Post #648 for their good work planning the Memorial Day Commemoration.

“We have a very active Veteran’s Committee that was established by the mayor to help the city with veteran’s issues and special events planning such as the Memorial Day Commemoration,” Day said.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the members of Post #648 invited everyone to a meal provided by the Legion Auxiliary and the Sons of the American Legion.

(Photos provided by Grafton City Photographer Dave Sanford).

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