Morgan City ceremony marks Memorial Day

The deceased veterans of the Tri-City area were remembered Monday when area citizens and officials gathered at the Morgan City Cemetery for a Memorial Day service put on by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4222.
“The veterans in this graveyard have (gone) where our country has asked them to go,” Post Adjutant Sherman Whiting said.
While more than 1,200 veterans have been laid to rest through the years in the cemetery, Morgan City Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi said that 40-plus Tri-City area men died in service.
“Memorial Day is such a solace time that we recognize those that have given their all,” Grizzaffi said. “It’s very important, not only for today’s event, that we continue to pass down that tradition to our younger people to let them know the exact meaning of Memorial Day.”
Held the last Monday in May, Memorial Day’s purpose is to remember those who have passed away during military service.
Monday’s ceremony also featured the laying of two wreaths at the Veterans of Foreign War Post 4222 memorial marker in honor of those who have served the United State in the armed services, while red, white and blue balloons were released by members of the Oil Center Auxiliary Post 4222 in the deceased veterans’ honor.
Of the veterans laid to rest in the Morgan City Cemetery, approximately 52 percent served in the Army, 22 percent in the Navy, 9 percent in the Marines, 4 percent in the Coast Guard and about 13 percent in the Air Force.
The ceremony concluded with a rifle salute by the East St. Mary Veterans Funeral Squad, Michael Swiber and Nanci Smith playing taps and the raising of the flag to full staff by the Post 4222 Honor Guard.