This year Memorial Day marks the 10th anniversary of the dedication of the Veterans Memorial at Fountain Park.

Fountain Hills American Legion Post 58 has organized the annual ceremony this year for remembering those who have given their lives in service to the country.

The ceremony will be held Monday, May 25, at 9 a.m. at the memorial off El Lago Boulevard on the south side of the park.

Keynote speaker will be Vietnam War veteran Joe Brett. American Legion Post Commander Bob Putnam will give opening remarks and VFW Post 7507 Commander Phil Yin will also speak.

Music for the program will be provided by Debbie Fisher and the Fountain Hills Saxophone Quartet.

The Legion Post will host participants after the ceremony for coffee and pastries.

Holiday history

General John Logan, commander for the Grand Army of the Republic, proclaimed the first Memorial Day for May 30, 1868, and the day was observed by placing flowers on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

After World War I the day was changed to honor all America’s war dead, not just those of the Civil War.

Boe James, a Fountain Hills resident and retired U.S. Navy officer and member of VFW Post 7507, said it has become easy to forget that Memorial Day is set aside specifically for remembering those who have died at war.

“It is not a day for honoring our living veterans or active duty service members, although any day is a good day to acknowledge them,” James said in a note to The Times.

“Veterans Day is a single day especially set aside to honor all of our veterans (including active duty service members), living and dead. The special meaning of these two days can be confusing to many people.

“Unfortunately, in today’s world many people have forgotten or never learned the meaning of these two days and they are just another excuse for special sales or other events.

“The meaning and solemnity of Memorial Day, in particular, is often overlooked and the day has just become the first day of summer for far too many.”

Moina Michael, who is credited with conceiving the idea of honoring war dead with red poppies, was inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields to write her own response: We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.