St. Louis Memorial Day Observance
Head downtown on Monday for the annual Memorial Day Observance at Soldiers Memorial. The museum, operated by the Missouri Historical Society, includes five outdoor memorials for St. Louisans who sacrificed their lives in military service. The morning’s events begin at 10 a.m. with a POW/MIA remembrance service and laying of wreaths. The Red and Black Brass Band provides music including the National Anthem and Taps. It’s also the final day for the exhibition Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II. Soldiers Memorial, 1315 Chestnut.
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O’Fallon Memorial Day Ceremony
Veterans Memorial Walk in O’Fallon, Missouri, opened in 2001, and it’s a site worth visiting anytime. It features five large slabs representing each branch of the military, cast bronze boots “marching,” and an eternal flame. On Memorial Day, honor the fallen starting at 11 a.m. 801 Belleau Creek Road, O’Fallon, Missouri.
In historic Belleville, Illinois, recognize and honor service members with an annual parade. It steps off from North 3rd street at 10 a.m. on Monday and heads east on Main Street to Mascoutah Avenue and then to Walnut Hill Cemetery, where the Memorial Day Ceremony takes place with support from the Belleville Memoria Day Association. The United States Air Force Band of Mid-America Marching Band is among the participants.
St. Charles County
At St. Charles Memorial Gardens (3950 W. Clay, St. Charles) on Sunday, the mood is both festive and reverent. Starting at noon, enjoy food, drinks, face-painting, and music at the cemetery. At 2 p.m., the ceremony begins, honoring veterans who have passed in the last year. Families will be invited to place a poppy on a wreath to honor them. On Monday, the Lake Saint Louis Veterans Committee honors soldiers at Veteran’s Memorial Park, 200 Civic Center Drive, at 9 a.m.
The O’Fallon Veteran’s Monument in O’Fallon, Illinois is made up of 15 pillars in a star shape. New names are added twice a year, and an onsite kiosk can direct you to included veterans’ names. On Memorial Day, bring lawn chairs or blankets for a ceremony at 11:30 a.m., with patriotic music starting at 11:15 a.m.
