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GROSSE POINTE FARMS/WOODS — Memorial Day is a holiday people often mark by having a picnic or going to a park, but it’s more than just a day when many don’t have to go to work or school.
The community is invited to pay tribute to veterans who lost their lives in service to their country during two solemn local ceremonies.
The War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Farms, just celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, and it has been holding a Memorial Day service since it became a community center and patriotic institution.
The service will begin at 10 a.m. May 26 on the lakefront back lawn of The War Memorial. In the event of inclement weather, it can be moved indoors to the Fred M. Alger Center. The keynote speaker will be Lt. Col. Stephen Klenke, 127th Wing Base civil engineer at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township.
War Memorial President and CEO Maria Miller said it’s vital “for us to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
“We’ve got freedoms other countries don’t have,” Miller continued. “To spend an hour commemorating those who served is a great way to start Memorial Day.”
Miller said boaters also participate in the ceremony from Lake St. Clair.
“They take their caps off,” Miller said. “It’s heartwarming to see.”
The names of Grosse Pointers who died while serving their country are read each year. Music and remarks by community leaders are also part of the program.
Vietnam War veterans are a particular focus this year, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the ending of the war.
“We all know how they were mistreated” when they returned home, Miller said. “It just became very important that we signified Vietnam veterans matter and we want to (honor) them.”
So that War Memorial officials can prepare, they ask that Memorial Day attendees register for the event online. In recent years, the ceremony has drawn roughly 150 people, said Alex Szwarc, War Memorial patriotic programming and communications administrator and chair of the Veterans Committee.
Memorial Day is really the cap of a week’s worth of activities at The War Memorial. It all begins with An Evening of Red, White & Blue, a fundraising gala May 21 that features dinner and live music. Although reservations needed to be made by May 12, tickets might still be available at press time, so call The War Memorial at (313) 881-7511 to check.
Our Community Salutes, a national program, is a chance to honor new military recruits and their families and will take place May 22.
This will be the first time since 2022 that The War Memorial has had an Our Community Salutes event. Miller said that’s because military recruitment has been down in recent years.
“We’re just excited to bring it back and give the high school seniors who enlist the proper recognition,” Szwarc said.
Szwarc said that for enlistees, the deadline to register for Our Community Salutes is noon May 22. That’s because they receive special certificates that need to be printed ahead of time.
Our Community Salutes will start at 7 p.m. May 22, but enlistees and their families are encouraged to come early: Szwarc said there will be a resource fair from 6 to 7 p.m. with an array of information for families and the new service members.
Szwarc said The War Memorial is hosting the only Our Community Salutes event in Michigan.
“It’s a really nice ceremony (to) commemorate those who have enlisted,” Miller said. “I’m grateful that we do that. That’s our mission work.”
Like the Memorial Day program, Our Community Salutes is free and open to anyone.
“We’d love to have veterans (and) anyone from the community come out to support the enlistees,” Szwarc said.
Another Memorial Day tradition in the community is the annual ceremony put on by Grosse Pointe Woods.
Grosse Pointe Woods’ 43rd annual Memorial Day program will take place starting at 10 a.m. May 26 in the Veterans’ Memorial Parkway Circle of Honor, a large median on Vernier Road near Mack Avenue. It’s open to anyone, not just Grosse Pointe Woods residents, and is sponsored by the Grosse Pointe Woods Historical Commission.
“It’s important for everybody to know about and to recognize the effort and, in some cases, sacrifice of life from our veterans,” Woods Mayor Arthur Bryant said. “Once a year is really not enough to show our appreciation for (them) enabling us to have the life we have in this country.”
He noted that the Woods ceremony only lasts about an hour, so people can still take part in other activities on Memorial Day, such as family gatherings.
Bryant estimated that the Woods event draws upward of 550 attendees each year.
“We put out 400 chairs and people are (still) standing around,” Bryant said.
Attendees can also bring their own chairs. For reservations or more information about any of The War Memorial’s events, visit warmemorial.org. No reservations are needs for the Woods event. For more information, visit gpwmi.us.
