Selma honors veterans on Memorial Day

Selma’s local VFW Post 3016 held their annual Memorial Day ceremony at Memorial Stadium on Monday and, although it was hot, a nice crowd was on hand to honor the men and women who have given their lives defending our nation.

The ceremony was hosted by Rod Stone, who opened by recognizing the World War II veterans and then the Korean War vets both of whom we are quickly losing. Pastor Steve Copp was the guest speaker, giving a meaningful speech reminding us that many have died to give us the rights we have in this country.

For the memorial, members of the VFW and the VFW auxiliary laid wreaths of flowers at the base of the memorials at the stadium in remembrance of the men and women who lost their lives in defense of our country. 

Because of the heat, the ceremony was intentionally kept short. Stone said it was better than last year when it rained the whole time.

Originally called Decoration Day, it was a tradition that dates back to before the Civil War when families would gather at cemeteries and put flowers on the graves of soldiers as well as family members. In 1967 the holiday was officially called Memorial Day and in 1968 moved from the traditional May 30^thdate to the last Monday in May.