Flags displayed along Highway 31 in 2016, put out by members of VFW Post 2214/Image courtesy of Ken Brown
CULLMAN – Cullman’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2214 has several activities planned for this year’s Memorial Day remembrance.
According to Post Vice Commander, retired Air Force Col. Ken Brown, things will get started on Thursday morning, May 25.
Cullman City Cemetery
A group will gather at Cullman City Cemetery on Main Avenue at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 25. There will be 900 small flags placed on veterans’ graves at the site. Volunteers are welcome.
Veterans will share the following prayer before placing the flags:
Let us pray.
Father, we come before you this morning to ask that you might bless our effort to honor our fallen military brothers and sisters, who rest here in peace. We pray that by placing the flag of our country on each of their graves, we might honor and remember them before their friends and family who still mourn their passing.
Father, we ask that our fellow Americans will come to recognize just a small part of the sacrifice represented by the sea of flags- just a glimpse of the family loss, the anguish of those left behind and the debt we owe these men and women who fought and died for us.
Father we pray for our living veterans whose thoughts are with those comrades they lost so long ago and whose young faces they still see and laughter they still hear. Help those of us so touched as we continue our efforts to heal.
Father, be with us now as we labor to honor our heroes.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Flag displays
On Friday, May 26, post volunteers will meet at 7:45 a.m. and will put out full-sized American flags along the medians of Highways 31, 157 and 278. The post currently has 279 flags for these displays, many donated by Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs, the Cullman City Council, the Cullman County Commission and numerous local residents.
Saturday memorial service
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 27, the post will take part in a memorial service at Veterans’ Park inside Sportsman Lake Park, hosted by the Cullman area Disabled American Veterans Chapter 76.
Said Brown of the service, “If you are a citizen of Cullman County, I urge you to bring your family to Veterans’ Park at Sportsman Lake this Saturday at 10 a.m. to hear and see a short ceremony honoring those patriots from our county who gave their lives in military service to our nation. After all, that is what Memorial Day is all about.”
Memorial Day Buddy Poppy distribution
VFW volunteers will be at both Cullman Wal Marts all day Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, distributing “Buddy Poppies” and taking donations.
The poppy is the official flower of VFW, based on the flowers made famous by the World War I poem “In Flanders Fields.” “Buddy Poppies” are hand-made by VFW members and distributed to donors. Post 2214 uses Buddy Poppy donations to assist needy local veterans with bills and other living expenses.
For more information, visit VFW Post 2214’s Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/cullmanVFWPost/.
For more information on Disabled American Veterans Chapter 76, visit http://www.davmembersportal.org/chapters/al/76/default.aspx.
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