ORANGE COUNTY, N.Y.–Middletown Elks Lodge 1097 hosted its first Memorial Day ceremony to honor those who served their country and made the ultimate sacrifice.
Army veteran Ryan Valcourt, commander of American Legion Post 151, acted as master of ceremonies for the crowd of 180 people.
The ceremony began with Wallkill American Legion Post 1181 posting the colors and an invocation from post Chaplin Paul Eric.
Then followed the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the national anthem.
Veteran Barry Schnipper talked about the meaning and origin of the holiday.
“Memorial Day is more than just an unofficial start of summer or a reason for a long weekend. It’s a very solemn day of remembrance, set aside to honor the men and women who gave their lives in military service to the United States. ”…