Patriotic music, special guest speakers, 21-gun salutes, prayers and other activities are scheduled for Monday as part of Memorial Day observances in Grantsville and Tooele.
The national holiday commemorates all men and women who have died in military service for the United States.
“Our event has gotten bigger and bigger each year and we expect several people to attend on Monday,” said Kristy Clark who manages Grantsville Cemetery.
Memorial Day events start at the cemetery at 8 a.m. with a flag raising ceremony and 21-gun salute.
“We read the names of our fallen veterans and ring a bell in their honor,” she said.
Ahston Dunlavy and Whitney Carpenter will sing Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the USA.”
Jodi Steifeldt, aunt of fallen soldier Jordan Matthew Byrd, will be the main speaker. Byrd served in the U.S. Army, and was killed in action in Afghanistan on Oct. 13, 2010 while in the act of aiding a wounded soldier during a combat mission.
“We will put American flags on all the graves of veterans, and a wreath on the monument in the cemetery that honors our veterans,” Clark said.
The cemetery is located at 370 W. Main Street.
Susan Johnson, who helped organize Memorial Day events for Clark Historic Farm this year, urged Grantsville residents to attend the flag raising ceremony and then go to the farm at 378 W. Clark Street for breakfast.
The meal will be served from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. and the cost is $4 per plate.
She said there will also be a Freedom Wall to pay tribute to Grantsville soldiers who have died in action. The wall will include patriotic quotes from J. Reuben Clark, Jr. who served in World War I and in the administrations of eight U.S. presidents.
Tooele’s Memorial Day celebration will be held at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Square.
“Each year the Elks Lodge helps us honor our veterans,” said Tooele City Councilman Dave McCall. “We will be honored to hear from the Tooele Army Depot commander.”
The program will include remarks from McCall who served in the U.S. Marine Corp.
Colors will be posted and the National Anthem sung by Tooele City Councilwoman Debbie Winn. Winn will also sing later in the program.
The invocation will be offered by Chaplain Mike Jones of Utah Elks.
Utah Elks President Brian Lindsay will introduce guest speaker Col. Jimmy Brown, commander at Tooele Army Depot.
Brown assumed command of Tooele Army Depot on June 28, 2016. He earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a master of military studies from the Marine Corps University, and a master of science in national resource strategy from the National Defense University.
He recently served as the acquisition and logistics team chief within the Office of Business Transformation on the Army Staff.
Brown has deployed four times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as other locations in support of contingency and peacekeeping operations.
After his speech, the Harris-Carter VFW Post 9413 from Tooele will provide a 21-gun salute followed with taps by Tom Wright.
Closing prayer will be offered by Utah Elks Chaplain Mike Jones.