Melfort Legion president Jim Graham places a flag on a veteran’s post at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. (Brendan Mayer/northeastNOW Staff)

By Brendan Mayer

Decoration Day

Veterans honoured at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Melfort

Jun 14, 2021 | 10:00 AM

A small crowd gathered Sunday at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Melfort to honour veterans.

The Melfort Legion hosted a Decoration Day service and gave attendees Canadian flags to place on veteran’s posts who survived the wars but are interred at the cemetery.

“Getting flags placed throughout the cemetery is very important to us,” Melfort Legion president Jim Graham said. “It’s really good to see the community members join us and make sure this gets done. It’s really nice.”

Around 375 flags were placed during the ceremony.

“The turnout here is really good,” Graham said during the service. “We usually have the air cadets join us but with COVID-19 the last couple of years, we haven’t been able to have them join.”

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Melfort Legion president Jim Graham speaks at the Decoration Day ceremony Sunday. (Brendan Mayer/northeastNOW Staff)

This year’s event was originally scheduled on June 6 but was postponed because of thunderstorms. June 6 is the anniversary of D-Day of the Second World War.

“We do it in June because the weather is usually nice, and it signifies the operations in the Second World War where most of are veterans are from,” Graham added.

There are pictures of local veterans at the Melfort Legion Hall and new photos have been added in the past year.

“We have 870 pictures in there of people that lived in Melfort and around the area that served in World War one, World War two and since,” Graham said. “We see the legion as being part of the fabric of the community. We are make sure that our youth understand the sacrifices that people made that have led to their lives being as plentiful as they are.”

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Brendan.Mayer@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @BrendanMayer