Monday, May 30, 2022, is Memorial Day, and is a day set aside to remember those who have given their lives for our country.  For many, it is a somber observance, one with sadness for those veterans no longer with us, but also with pride for the service they rendered.

Tattnall County has always been proud of its veterans and has honored them in various ways over the years.  We also do not forget those who are no longer with us. One indication is the annual Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery (GVMC) in Glennville each December. Last year’s record attendance at this event was an example that we still care and will always remember their service.

This year, after an absence of the past two years due to COVID, a ceremony will be held once again at the GVMC on Monday, May 30, at 11:30 a.m. The ceremony will include participation from Ft. Stewart’s 3rd Infantry Division, along with members of the Glennville Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post #8379 and American Legion Post #95.  Keynote speaker will be Lt. Col. Joseph Handke, Commander of 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, for the 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart.  Georgia State Representative Bill Werkheiser of Glennville will also deliver comments.

Of course, the public is invited to attend and share in this occasion.

On this day and every day you have an opportunity, take the time to stop and thank a Soldier for his/her military service to our country, a service that allows us to worship freely, speak with no threat of repercussion, and even to protest peacefully for how we feel about our government’s issues.

On this day, especially, recall first and foremost that these deceased Soldiers have been a part of keeping these freedoms intact here at home and who have fought and died that those in other countries might know the same.

In the beginning, the purpose of Memorial Day was to honor Soldiers who died during the American Civil War. The original national observance of Decoration Day, as it was first called, took place on May 30, 1868. It was later expanded to include the deceased veterans of all the wars fought by American forces.

This year, as in the previous years, Memorial Day is viewed as a time of honor and remembrance. With ceremonies once again held across our country, in small towns and counties like Tattnall as well as in large metropolitan areas, we remember those who served and died.  Remember...and cherish their service.