Monday is Memorial Day, a chance to remember those who died while serving in the armed forces. This Monday marks the first year since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars began that no service members from Joint Base Lewis-McChord or with other local ties were killed in action since the last observance of the holiday.
But there are plenty of commemorations around the South Sound this weekend for those who have sacrificed their lives while wearing their country’s uniform. Events are listed chronologically.
Sunday
• Key Peninsula Veterans is hosting its annual Memorial Day remembrance and “aisle of honor” display. The event begins at 1 p.m. at the Vaughn cemetery, corner of 100th Street KPN and 186th Avenue KPN. Parking and a shuttle service will be provided at Vaughn Elementary School.
• An observance at Fir Lane Memorial Park in Spanaway is set to begin at 12:30 p.m. The funeral home is at 924 East 176th St.
• U.S. Rep. Denny Heck is scheduled to speak at Puyallup’s Memorial Day observance. It’s scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at the pavilion in Pioneer Park, 333 S. Meridian. The Navy Five Star Brass Quintet and Clan Gordon Pipe Band are scheduled to perform.
• A ceremony at the Yelm cemetery, 11540 Cemetery Road SE, Yelm, is set to begin at 1 p.m.
• The Thurston County Veterans Council is hosting a waterside memorial to honor veterans lost at sea. The service will take place at 1 p.m. at Percival Landing, 405 Columbia St. NW, Olympia. For more information, call 360-789-2202 or email
TCVCChairman@yahoo.com.
Monday
• Wear Blue: Run to Remember will begin the day with its annual Memorial Day run. The event typically draws more than 1,000 participants. It kicks off at 9 a.m. in DuPont’s Powderworks Park. For more information, go to
wearblueruntoremember.org• The Sumner Cemetery, 12324 Valley Ave. E., Puyallup, is hosting an observance beginning at 10 a.m.
• Auburn’s Mountain View Cemetery, 2020 Mountain View Drive, will host an observance at 10 a.m. including remarks by the Auburn mayor and by the local VFW post commander.
• Bethany Lutheran Church in Spanaway will host a service with a firing detail and keynote remarks from a senior officer at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The service is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. at the church cemetery, 26418 Mountain Highway, Spanaway.
• The Capitol rotunda in Olympia opens at 10:30 a.m. for a service hosted by Thurston County Veterans Council. The ceremony is to begin at 11 a.m.
• The Tacoma Historical Society service will take place at 11 a.m. at Tacoma War Memorial Park, South MacArthur Street and Sixth Avenue. For more information, contact 253-472-3738 or
info@tacomahistory.org.
• Joint Base Lewis-McChord is hosting its Memorial Day observance at the Fort Lewis Cemetery at 11:30 a.m.
• DuPont’s official Memorial Day observance is set to begin at 2 p.m. in Ross Plaza with remarks by I Corps Deputy Commander Maj. Gen. Kenneth Dahl.
• The Washington Soldiers Home is having a ceremony at 2 p.m. The soldiers home is at 1301 Orting Kapowsin Highway in Orting.
• Mountain View Cemetery, 4100 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Lakewood, will host a ceremony at 2 p.m. with remarks by Col. Daniel Walrath, chief of staff of the 7th Infantry Division at JBLM.
• Mills & Mills Memorial Park Cemetery, 5725 Littlerock Road SW, Tumwater, will host an observance at 2 p.m.
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