The heart of the unofficial start of summer is a more somber focus. Monday is Memorial Day, to remember those who died in active military service.
The weekend starts with a "Vietnam Soldier Remembrance" at at Veterans Memorial Park in Chillicothe to remember the 23 Ross County soldiers who never returned from that war. It's 2 to 3pm Saturday at Yoctangee Parkway and Chestnut Street.
Then the Feast of the Flowering Moon pauses at 4:30pm Saturday for the Memorial Day Weekend Grand Parade.
On Monday, annual services at local cemeteries start at 9am with a rifle salute and taps at Grandview Cemetery in Chillicothe, along with a brief guided walk to major veterans' graves.
A rifle salute and taps will then be presented 9:30am at St. Margaret's Cemetery, 10am at Greenlawn Cemetery, 11am at Rowland Cemetery near the Fairgrounds, and 12:30pm at Floral Hills Memory Gardens on US 23 south.
Additional services will be at Hallsville Cemetery, on State Route 180 at Walnut Creek Road. They run from 10:30am to 12:15pm Monday with music, speakers, a wreath laying, and more.
See detailed schedules below.
Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture
Memorial Day ceremonies in Chillicothe included Civil War re-enactors
Ross County Veterans Honor Guard
Services at local cemeteries
9:00 a.m. Grandview Cemetery (Rifle Salute and Taps, and Sons of Union Veterans will do their traditional Sill - Hopewell - USCT - Enderlin walk)
9:30 a.m. St. Margaret's Cemetery (Rifle Salute and Taps)
10:00 a.m. Greenlawn Cemetery (Rifle Salute and Taps, first at Soldiers' Circle, then at Soldiers' Square / Columarium)
11:00 a.m. Rowland Cemetery (Rifle Salute and Taps)
11:30 a.m. Hallsville Cemetery (Rifle Salute only, Bugler from Adelphi Community Band will play Taps after Kevin Coleman's speech)
12:30 p.m. Floral Hills Memory Gardens (Rifle Salute and Taps)
Hallsville Memorial Day Service
with Buchwalter Post, Company A and the Ohio 73Rd Volunteer Infantry
10:30 Adelphi Band - National Anthem
10:45 Presenting of United States Flag
11:00 Welcome
11:10 Invocation by Rev. Jividen
11:15 Pledge of Allegiance
11:17
- Soldier's Monument History
- Recognize Attending Veterans / Award Presentation
- Veteran Assists Placing Wreath At Monument
11:30
- Ross Co. Honor Guard
- History Of Gun Salute
11:45 Speaker Kevin Coleman, historian
12:00 Band and Placing Wreath at Soldier's Monument
12:15 Closing
- Taps, Silence
- Benediction, Rev Jividen