by Luke Putvin | Lynnwood Times Staff
Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, has its origins a few years after the end of the Civil War. The holiday originally only honored those who served in the Civil War, but that changed during World War I when the focus shifted to all military service members that lost their lives in any war.
Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, and congress passed a law recognizing it as a federal holiday to be observed on the last Monday in May. This law went into effect, and Memorial Day has been a federal holiday since 1971.
Each year, the City of Lynnwood puts on a ceremony for Memorial Day. Held on May 27 last year, hundreds gathered at Veterans Park to celebrate.
In 2019, the ceremony was dedicated to all Korean War veterans, and the event was sponsored by Lynnwood American Legion Post 37 and Lynnwood Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1040. Several speeches were given in honor of those who have fallen, and the program ended with the playing of Taps and a final song from the Northwest Junior Pipe Band.
This ceremony began in the 1990s when the American Legion and the VFW developed Veterans Park with funds donated by Post 37. Now, the park has a memorial stone, a flagpole and bricks around the park with names of past veterans.
However, since this ceremony cannot be held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ban on large gatherings, the City of Lynnwood will be posting a pre-recorded video of a rifle salute, laying of a wreath and a musical performance of Taps. This will be on Monday, May 25, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. More information can be found at the city’s website on their event calendar at www.lynnwood.gov/Community/Community-Events-Calendar.
