Photos by Deb Gau Community members remove their hats as Taps is played during the Memorial Day program held at Memorial Park in Marshall on Monday. With a combination of good weather and loosened COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings, Memorial Day observances drew good-sized crowds in Marshall.

MARSHALL — It may have been a solemn occasion, but Marshall area community members were definitely willing to come back to traditional Memorial Day observances Monday morning.

After a year without the annual program, a good-sized crowd of people gathered at Memorial Park to honor U.S. soldiers who gave their lives in service to their country.

Memorial Day observances looked a little different for the second year in a row, said Marshall VFW post commander Hal Meyer. “But the memories and emotions this day brings are always the same,” he said in a keynote address.

A combination of good weather and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions helped bring people out for Memorial Day ceremonies. In addition to the main program at Memorial Park and services at area cemeteries led by the VFW and American Legion, people also gathered at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Marshall to say a rosary.

People at the Memorial Day ceremonies — both community members and participants — were happy the programs could be held again this year. Roger Dale said it was an honor to be part of the honor guard saluting military service members at area cemeteries that morning. “It’s the last thing you can do for someone,” he said.

Organizers of Monday’s program had said it would be a little shorter than in past years, because there wasn’t much seating available for the audience at Memorial park. But the park was filled with white crosses representing service members who had died, and speakers including Meyer and the Rev. Ann Veldhuisen reflected on the meaning of the day.

“May we remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to this nation,” Veldhuisen said during her invocation. Veldhuisen also read part of Rabbi Roland Gittelsohn’s eulogy dedicating the Marine Cemetery on Iwo Jima. She encouraged community members to remember its message that there was no prejudice or hatred among the service members who fought and died together.

The sacrifices of fallen service members were a true expression of service, Meyer said. “They represent the best America has to offer.”

The U.S. has been at war for 20 years, and the military members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are community members’ friends and neighbors, Meyer said. He called on community members to honor their sacrifices and those of service members who have died, and to take care of their families as well.

“If you do see a soldier someplace, thank him for his service,” Meyer said.