Memorial Day

Blue skies and warm sunshine Sunday afternoon graced the annual Memorial Day observance by the American Legion Clopper-Michael Post 10 in Boonsboro. Beginning at 1 p.m. in front of Boonsboro Town Hall, the ceremony featured Ret. U.S. Army Col. Orlyn Oestereich, second vice commander of the American Legion in Maryland, as guest speaker. Wreaths were laid by Legion members, auxiliary members and the Sons of the American Legion, according to Carol Long, one of the organizers of the patriotic observance.

Blue skies and warm sunshine Sunday afternoon graced the annual Memorial Day observance by the American Legion Clopper-Michael Post 10 in Boonsboro. Beginning at 1 p.m. in front of Boonsboro Town Hall, the ceremony featured Ret. U.S. Army Col. Orlyn Oestereich, second vice commander of the American Legion in Maryland, as guest speaker. Wreaths were laid by Legion members, auxiliary members and the Sons of the American Legion, according to Carol Long, one of the organizers of the patriotic observance.

Beaver Creek, Mount Lena plan to erect veterans memorial The communities of Beaver Creek and Mount Lena have joined to erect a memorial to veterans at a Memorial Day ceremony Monday, May 29, at 11 a.m. at Mount Lena United Methodist Church. Dedication set for veterans memorial in War Memorial Park MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - The Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks and Recreation Board of Directors will hold a dedication ceremony for the new Veterans Memorial on Monday, May 29, at 10 a.m. at War Memorial Park, off Tennessee Avenue in Martinsburg.

Derek Hays of Hagerstown sometimes travels to the beach for Memorial Day weekend but said he plans to stay home and have a barbecue with his family this year. “Money's a little tight, gas is a little tight, so it just doesn't pay to drive down there for two days and pay the rates that they're charging for the hotels,” said Hays, 26. “It just isn't worth it.” Despite the improved economy and lower gas prices compared to last year, fewer U.S. residents and fewer Marylanders are expected to travel Memorial Day this year than last year, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Remembering those who served Following is a list of Tri-State area Memorial Day observances: Memorial Day parade Where - Main Street from Sharpsburg Elementary School to Antietam National Cemetery, Sharpsburg When - Saturday, May 23 Free Activities in the town square include the dedication of the town clock at 10:45 a.m., music by Rohrersville Band at 11:15 a.m. and a wreath-laying ceremony at noon. Retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Philip Coady, first commander of USS Antietam, is grand marshal.

On this Memorial Day 2003, we ask our readers to pause to reflect on the sacrifices of the men and women of the United States' armed forces. Americans owe the freedoms they enjoy to these people, and we believe it's time to consider how that debt should be repaid. The first and most obvious way is to oppose any effort to cut veterans' benefits, as proposed by the current administration. Those asked to put themselves in harm's way on the nation's behalf should not have to worry about whether they will be taken care of, medically or otherwise.

Memorial Day may kick off the summer season, but in Washington County, it also prompts a measure of reflection.  War has played a large role in the history of Washington County, and with it a connection to the broader American story.  It has given us a shared sense of community. Antietam, of course, ravaged the homes and fields around Sharpsburg during the Civil War, and less than a century later, the Allied war effort harnessed Washington County's manufacturing to help win World War II. More recently, men and women have answered the call and fought in the Middle East.