Veterans organizations in Harford County's three municipalities will host ceremonies Monday for Memorial Day, to give the community the opportunity to honor Americans who have died during the nation's wars.
American Legion Post 39 in Bel Air, along with 11 other local organizations, will host a ceremony in Shamrock Park, starting at 10:30 a.m. with a performance by the Bel Air Community Band. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m.
Retired Army Col. Bert Rice, who is the director of transformation at Ft. Meade in Anne Arundel County, will be the guest speaker.
Southampton Middle School students Adam Richardson and Ben Sprague also will speak and read essays, and memorial wreaths will be laid, according to a schedule of events from Post 39.
"It's an outstanding event," Mayor Robert Reier said of the Bel Air observance. "It's always well-attended and extremely important."
Aberdeen's VFW Post 10028 and the American Legion's Bernard L. Tobin Post 128 are coordinating a ceremony scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at Veterans Memorial Park at Rogers and Parke streets, Felicia Banuelos, administrative assistant for the city manager, said.
In case of inclement weather, Banuelos said the ceremony will be moved to the VFW post, at 821 Old Philadelphia Road.
Havre de Grace's Memorial Day observance begins at 9 a.m. with a wreath-laying at the Unknown Soldier's grave site in Angel Hill Cemetery off Ohio Street.
Another wreath-laying ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Tydings Park, where the wreaths will be laid by representatives of local organizations such as the American Legion, VFW, the Havre de Grace Police Department and the Susquehanna Hose Company, according to Bud Lilly, commander of Legion Post 47, of Havre de Grace.
Lilly said a free lunch will be held at the post after the ceremony. The post is at 501 St John St.
"It's all free," Lilly said.