Community prepares for Memorial Day

Area community members are invited to attend various Memorial Day events that will be held Sunday and Monday in Havre.

Sunday, starting at 9 a.m., the Veterans Honor Guard, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars will be placing U.S. flags at the headstones, of all veterans, at Highland Cemetery.

People can meet at the building at the center of the cemetery, near the flagpole.

"Anyone who wants to can join," American Legion Havre Post 11 Vice Commander Les Johnson said, adding he hopes to encourage any community members to come and volunteer to place the flags.

These groups will also be hosting Memorial Day services at the west side of Hill County Courthouse Sunday at 11 a.m.

Johnson said the Scouts will do a U.S. Flag Ceremony and various groups will be laying down wreaths in memorial. The Bullhook Blossoms Garden Club which is one of the groups laying down a wreath, will also be presenting a Blue Star Memorial at the courthouse, he added.

The Blue Star Memorial is a National Garden Club program which honors all people that have served in the United States Armed Forces.

Also at the memorial the national anthem will be sung by Gina Rudio and a gun salute and the playing of taps will be performed by the Veterans Honor Guard.

After the conclusion of the service, everyone is invited to go over to the Elks Club for a free-will offering chili lunch. During the lunch there will be a Posting of Colors, a POW MIA Ceremony, and a short speech.

"I would like to encourage anyone to come out," Johnson said. "The more the better."

Havre High School student Kougar Lanier, 18, along with other Scouts BSA members will host a flag retirement for old, torn and replaced flags at 2 p.m. Monday at The Bridge, off of Bullhook Drive.

This will be the second year this event, which started out as an Eagle Scout project, will be organized by Lanier.

"I plan on doing it annually," he added.

The retirement is open to the public and flags that have been dropped off at one of the three flag drop-off boxes in Havre and one in Chinook, will be retired.

Last year's ceremony had about 132 flags, Lanier said, and around 50 Scouts taking care of the fire pits.