Sunset Ceremony Held On Memorial Day

By VERNON ROBISON

Moapa Valley Progress

About two dozen local residents gathered at the Pioneer Cemetery in Overton on the evening of Monday, May 29, to participate in a solemn moment closing out the Memorial Day weekend. Members of the VFW Elwood Perkins Post 8336 conducted their annual flag retreat service to commemorate those who had fallen in service to their country.

While typically not as well attended as the early morning flagraising ceremony on Memorial Day, this evening ceremony is more intimate and every bit as poignant and reflective.

The service began as the sun sank low in the evening sky. The color guard, made up of VFW members in full uniform, ceremoniously lowered the flag, gently folded it and carried it respectfully from the grounds.

After this, Post Commander Chuck Riley welcomed those in attendance and explained that this gathering was to commemorate veterans who had died in all wars in the nation’s history. He talked about the ways that the veterans organizations continue to honor the memories of these brave soldiers.
“We honor them by helping the living,” Riley said. “As long as there are two comrades left, there will be someone to help and give aid. We will stand strong together.”

The veterans had spent much of the day on Saturday placing flags on the graves of all veterans resting in local cemeteries. Many of those flags fluttered in the breeze there at the Pioneer Cemetery during the services.
“Where the body of a comrade lies, there the ground is hallowed,” Riley said.

Post Chaplain Ralph Healey then gave a beautiful prayer of invocation on the ceremony.
A brief memorial followed. Veterans and auxiliary officers placed symbolic flowers and a flag at the foot of a veterans’ memorial marker which stands at the cemetery.
“In doing this, we pay our respects to comrades here in Pioneer Cemetery and wherever they may rest throughout the world,” Riley said.

The services concluded with a moment of silence and a silent salute from the veterans. Finally local veteran and Post Bugler, Joe Perez, performed a touching rendition of “Taps” on the bugle.
Earlier in the week, the veterans had been busy decorating the community for the holiday, lining State Highway 169 through Logandale and Overton, and State Highway 168 in Moapa with American flags.