The Racine American Legion hosted a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, including the flag raising, pictured here.
Courtesy photo
The Southern Marching Band took part in Monday’s ceremony in Racine.
Courtesy photo
The Racine Veterans Memorial is located next to the American Legion.
Courtesy photo
RACINE — “When you bring your kids to this Memorial, tell them why the bricks are here, tell them what the stars on the bricks represent, they were placed here so we won’t forget,” was keynote speaker Pastor Larry Fisher’s message to those attending Memorial Day services in Racine on Monday.
Racine Veterans Memorial Park was dedicated in May 1997, “In honor of the veterans who dutifully served our country.” The Memorial features bricks, each engraved with a service members name; a star on the brick signifies the Veteran was killed in action.
Fisher likened the reason for teaching the next generation what the Memorial Bricks represent to a verse from the Old Testament: After the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the land God had promised them, God told their leader, Joshua, to set up a memorial on the site.
According to scripture, the purpose of this memorial was so the people of Israel could teach their children the history of how God delivered them safely.
Joshua Chapter 4: “Go out into the river where the Ark of the LORD your God is. Each of you bring back one rock, one for each tribe of Israel, and carry it on your shoulder. They will be a sign among you. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these rocks mean?’
Fisher went on to say that the bricks in the park are a remembrance of the sacrifices our Veterans have made to keep us safe, and that it is important every generation knows the story so the memory is kept alive, “So that we don’t forget what the bricks represent.”
Racine American Legion Post 602 conducted the Flag raising ceremony accompanied by members of Tuppers Plains VFW Post 9053.
The ceremony begins when the Flag is quickly raised to full-staff position and then slowly lowered to half-staff. The Flag remains at half-staff until noon to honor United States deceased servicemen and women. At noon, the flags are raised quickly to full-staff in recognition of living military veterans and remain in this position until sunset.
Southern Local Marching Band, under the direction of Audra Wilkinson preformed the Star Spangled Banner, and closed the service with Taps.
Guests were treated to refreshments following the service.
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Lorna Hart is a freelance writer for The Daily Sentinel.
