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Committee approves use of Veterans Memorial Island for Memorial Day ceremony
Summary
The Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary Committee approved a request from the Military Officers Association of America to use Veterans Memorial Island for a Memorial Day ceremony; program is a draft and staff will finalize logistics and permits.
The Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary Committee approved a request to use Veterans Memorial Island for a Memorial Day ceremony, voting to permit the Military Officers Association of America to hold a program with setup and teardown roughly between 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The committee added the item to the agenda at the start of the meeting and then approved the use by voice vote.
The program remains a draft, committee members said. Colonel Young, who presented program details, said the planned speaker is Gary Berry, a Vietnam veteran, and described traditional elements: honor guards, an Air Force and Navy JROTC presence, a reviewing stand, floral honors, bagpipes and a bugler (with an alternate if needed). "It'll probably be about 1000 people, I would imagine," Colonel Young said, while noting the printed program estimate of 750 was a draft and "no one really knows for sure how many people." The committee noted an accessible portal will be provided so attendees with mobility needs do not have to walk a long distance to restroom facilities.
A committee member who moved to approve the permit confirmed, "So we approved to actually let it happen," after members signaled assent. The committee recorded the approval by voice; an exact roll-call tally was not specified in the meeting record. Committee members said signatures required for the permit were in order and staff will finalize logistics.
Why it matters: Veterans Memorial Island is the city's dedicated memorial site honoring local service members; the committee framed the ceremony as a community observance that brings veterans, families and school groups together. Committee members also used the discussion to confirm operational details and accessibility steps before finalizing the program.
Next steps: Committee staff will finalize the draft program and the permit paperwork, coordinate with honor guards and school JROTC units, and follow up on the bugler alternate if needed. The committee did not set a new vote or amendment at the meeting; implementation tasks were described as administrative and preparatory.
