The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Memorial Day events set Monday
Mayor Owen Diaz to serve as keynote speaker at Memorial Day program honoring veterans
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: May 24, 2007
Memorial Day rituals in Milan will begin early Monday morning with a ceremonial wreath placed on the waters of Ford Lake alongside American Legion Post 268.
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Members of the post will place a second wreath at the veterans' memorial in Wilson Park and lower the American flag to half-staff.
The traditional parade through downtown Milan start at 9 a.m. and will feature a color guard, a rifle squad, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Boy Scouts, antique cars, bands, tractors and more.
The procession will begin at the American Legion Post on Wabash and make its way north the short distance to Main Street, where it will turn left toward Marble Park Cemetery.
Hundreds of residents begin lining the streets around 8:30 a.m.
"We get a good crowd for the parade," said Len Federer, the parade's organizer for about the last decade.
He said he has noticed an increase in participation and attendance in recent years.
The parade will pull up at Marble Park Cemetery, where hundreds of American veterans are buried. Flags will mark their gravesites, placed there the day before by Milan veterans. In all, Federer said, the American Legion would place more than 750 flags in area cemeteries.
The ceremony at Marble Park Cemetery will include a 21-gun salute and a probable flyover by the Michigan Air National Guard. Singers from Milan High School will perform "America the Beautiful" and a resident will play "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes.
Milan Mayor Owen Diaz will be the keynote speaker, followed by Brigadier Gen. Richard S. Miller, who is currently assigned as the Deputy Commander General-Training for the 38th Infantry Division.
Miller, 55, was promoted to a one-star general earlier this month after serving in the Army and Reserves for more than 25 years. He is a senior vice president for RS Electronics and had to take a year's absence when he was activated in August 2004. For the next year, he served in Afghanistan where he commanded the All-Embedded Training team and was the senior U.S. adviser for the 205th Corps of Afghan National Army. He lives in Pittsfield Township.
Milan Police Chief Jeffrey Lewis, an acquaintance of Miller's, recruited the general as a speaker for the Memorial Day service after attending Miller's promotion ceremony in Indianapolis.
"I thought, hey, it would be great if he could find the time to come and speak in Milan," said Lewis, "and it all just sort of fell into place."
The parade's Grand Marshall will be Jim Early, 73, who serves as the American Legion's treasurer.
"We started out with World War II vets as grand marshals," said Federer, "but they're getting harder to find. I try to pick people who are active (in the Legion) and Jim has certainly been active."
After the parade, attendees and participants can troop back to the American Legion for free hot dogs and soda.
Staff Writer Brian Cox can be reached at 429-7380 or bcox@heritage.com.
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