Bellevue's annual Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at the Bellevue Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, May 29th. The cemetery is located at Franklin St. & 13th Ave. off Bellevue Blvd. This annual ceremony honors the men, women and their families who have courageously fought for our country throughout our history. Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 10785 sponsors the ceremony, with participation by VFW Post 2280, American Legion Post 339 and local Boy Scouts.
Attendees are invited to gather around the center of the cemetery near the flagpole and if the weather allows, the cemetery's "Avenue of Flags" will be proudly displayed. In addition to the traditional VFW Memorial Day ceremony and the laying of five ceremonial wreaths, the Sarpy Serenaders will perform patriotic songs, including a medley of the songs of the military services. The ceremony concludes with a rifle salute and Echo Taps, performed by Kim and Carly Ingraham.
Bill O’Donnell, from VFW Post 10785 has stated that the ceremony’s breadth offers a wonderful educational opportunity for parents and grandparents to teach young people. “I think every parent or grandparent ought to have their whole family at the ceremony – lessons of a lifetime can be taught in one short hour,” he added.
According to the Bellevue Leader, there are at least two other Ceremonies in the Bellevue area to help honor Memorial Day:
- Offutt AFB will host a Memorial Day Ceremony at 9 a.m. at the Fort Crook Cemetery
- The Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home will host a Memorial Day Ceremony at 2 p.m. which includes a ringing of the bell to honor the residents of the home that died over the last year. The Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home is located at 40th and Capehart Road.