By Shannon Lukens.
Monday, May 27, is Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May.
CEMETERY IN CRAIG
In Craig, the local Daughters of the American Revolution is putting up flags in the Craig Cemetery at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 26, and they would love your help.
Memorial Day Services at the cemetery in Craig are at 11 a.m. Monday, May 27.
HAYDEN CEMETERY
On Friday, May 24 at 5 p.m., American Flags will be placed on the graves of Veterans in the Hayden Cemetery. All are invited to help.
The Memorial Day Ceremony at the Hayden Cemetery is at 6 p.m. Monday, May 27. All are invited.
Afterwards, there are free burgers and hot dogs at the Legion Post, 220 S. 3rd Street in Hayden.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS CEMETERY
In preparation for Memorial Day, flags are being put on graves of veterans at the Steamboat Springs Cemetery at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 23, by the local Boy Scouts and Civil Air Patrol.
A Memorial Day ceremony at the Steamboat Springs Cemetery is at 11 a.m. Monday, May 27. The public is invited.
Parking is limited. The City of Steamboat Springs asks that you ride a free shuttle up to the Memorial Day Ceremony Monday. It leaves from the Stockbridge Transit Center, starting at 9:30 a.m.
There are 64 service members from Routt County who have died.
- 21 Routt County service members died in World War I
- 36 Routt County service members died in World War II
- Four Routt County service members died in the Korean War
- Two Routt County residents were killed in action in Vietnam
- One Routt County soldier was killed during Iraqi Freedom
Also at the ceremony, one soldier from World War 1, World War II, Korea and Vietnam will be honored.
WORLD WAR 1: Private Raymond Whitmer of Clark. Raymond grew up on the family ranch and attended elementary school at Clark and Steamboat Springs High School. He was born in June 1890, to Emanuel and Celesta Whitmer. Growing up, he became well known in the Clark Community. He entered Service on June 24, 1918, and was assigned to Company A, 109th Engineers 34th Division. He went overseas to France in September 1918. While training in France he contracted pneumonia and was hospitalized where he died on October 23, 1918. He is buried in the World War I American cemetery in France.
WORLD WAR II: William Daugherty, the son of Mr. and Mrs. F.E, Daugherty was born and raised in Steamboat Springs. He graduated from Steamboat Springs High School and lived with his wife and daughter in Craig. He joined the Craig, Company A 157th Infantry of the Colorado National Guard. He was later transferred to the regular Army as a 1st Lt. to Company L 5th Infantry Division and sent to Panama in January 1942. He came down with Malaria in early August of 1942 and died on August 6th, 1942. He was buried with full military honors conducted by American Legion Leo Hill Post 44 in the Steamboat Springs Cemetery on August 19, 1942.
KOREAN WAR: PFC. Frank Finch, son of Mr. and Mrs. Orman Finch. He was raised in Oak Creek and graduated from Oak Creek High School. He entered the Army in June of 1951 and received Basic Training at Camp Carson Colorado and infantry training in Georgia. He was sent to Korea in September 1952 as a automatic rifleman serving in Company B in the “Iron Triangle” of Korea, He was killed in action on October 14, 1952. His body was returned and buried in the Steamboat Springs Cemetery with full military honors presented by American Legion Leo Hill Post 44 and VFW Post 4264.
VIETNAM: Lance Cpl. David Fogg United States Marine Corp. David was born on Aug. 29, 1950, in Steamboat Springs, but his family later moved to Yampa, where as a youth he participated in Little League Baseball and Cub Scouts. He attended SOROCO High School where he participated in football and basketball. He was selected All Conference Defensive End in football. David joined the Marines in February 1968 before graduating in May of that year. After extended training he was assigned to the 1st Marine Division 7th Regiment as a rifleman and was sent to an outpost near Danang, South Vietnam. While there he completed and graduated from the Marine Combat Action Program School, which trained him to work with Vietnamese people and especially children. While on patrol, July 4, 1969, he was hit with sniper fire and died from his wounds on July 5, 1969. He served one year, four months and nine days. He was buried with full military honors which consisted of the Marine Corp Rifle Squad and the local VFW post 4264 in the Steamboat Springs Cemetery on July 18, 1969.
The ceremony at the Steamboat Springs Cemetery will be followed up by a BBQ at the Community Center, courtesy of the Routt County Cattlewomen.
Flags are being picked up off of the graves at the cemetery at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29.
Here’s more from Jim Stanko, Adjutant Legion Post 44 and VFW Post 4264 in Steamboat Springs.
CONTINUING A MEMORIAL DAY TRADITION
American Legion Post 44 and VFW Post 4264 will be conducting Memorial Day Service this Monday, May 27,at the Steamboat Springs Cemetery. The Service will begin right at 11 a.m. This is a National Holiday which had its beginnings in 1868 when Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic issued General Order 11. This order stated that the 30th day in May is designated for the purpose of strewing flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of those that died in defense of their Country. Throughout the following years this became the practice in all States and the day became known as “Decoration Day.” It was not until 1971 when the “last Monday” in May would become a Federal Holiday known as Memorial Day.
James Crawford, the founder of Steamboat Springs, started the first Decoration Day in Steamboat with a picnic on what is now called Dream Island. The first Decoration Day to honor veterans was started in 1922 when members of the newly formed American Legion Post marched to the cemetery and placed flowers on three graves of two Civil War veterans and one World War 1 veteran who had died. Starting in 1946, the Legion and VFW have conducted a Memorial Day Service ever since to honor local veterans that have passed on.
Decoration Day was an important community event from the late 1920s through the mid 1960s, as this became the day when not only the townspeople, but the ranchers and farmers all gathered at the cemetery, not only to remember their past relatives by decorating graves, but as a time to put the spring work down, and spend time with neighbors, and friends after a long winter of isolation. Unfortunately today, Memorial Day signals the first day of getting outdoors for summer activities. For many, Memorial Day is the first three-day weekend for camping, fishing and just getting away. Most forget that paying tribute to our Nation’s veterans on this special day should be regarded as a civic obligation. For this a national debt that can only be repaid by individual Americans by honoring the nation’s deceased veterans we preserve their memory and thus their service and sacrifice.
This year the Service will honor one Routt County soldier who died during all the wars from 1917 to the present. During this period, 64 Routt County soldiers died: 21 died in WW1, 36 service members in WWII, 4 in the Korean War and 2 in Vietnam. At this years’ Service members of the American Legion and VFW Posts will honor the following: WWI—Raymond Whitmore, WWII—William Daugherty, Korea—Frank Finch and Vietnam—David Fogg.
At the Service there be the traditional lowing of the flag with the help of the Boy Scouts and Civil Air Patrol and the placing of a memorial wreath on the veteran monument. Tribute will also be paid to the missing in action from all wars and to those that still may be held as prisoners of war. Maureen Hogue will play traditional songs during the ceremony which will end with the 21-gun salute with taps.
Since the roads are narrow and parking is limited in the cemetery. The Steamboat Transit will again provide bus service from the Transit Center starting at 9:30 a.m. with the last bus leaving at 10:30 a.m. Buses will leave right after the conclusion of the Service. If at all possible, please plan to ride the bus to and from the cemetery. The Steamboat Springs Police and Sheriff Departments will also assist with traffic and crowd control.