Sussex County Memorial Day Celebration set May 25

The traditional Sussex County Memorial Day Service will be held at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, May 25, on The Circle in Georgetown, sponsored by the Georgetown Kiwanis Club and the Korean War Veterans Association.

The keynote speech, “Honoring a Legacy of Loyalty and Service,” will be delivered by retired Brig. Gen. Karen Berry, U.S. Army National Guard. A graduate of the University of Delaware, Berry has held commands in Connecticut and Delaware as well as Afghanistan. She is now a veterans’ advocate at Delaware Technical Community College in Georgetown.

Rep. Valerie Jones Giltner, R-Georgetown, will serve as master of ceremonies. The invocation and benediction will be offered by Pastor Tim Freidel of Wesley United Methodist Church, Georgetown.

Cathy Gorman of Georgetown will sing the national anthem and “America the Beautiful.” The audience is invited to sing along.

Attendees can meet Delaware World War II reenactors and see a 1943 WWII combat Jeep. American Legion Riders, led by Assistant State Director Jack Tarr, will also be present.

Memorial wreaths will be placed by local veterans’ groups and service organizations in tribute to those who died in both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam and more recent conflicts to protect Americans’ freedoms. Boy Scouts of America Troop 95 members will assist.

The rifle salute will be executed by members of the 198th Signal Battalion, Delaware National Guard, stationed at the Georgetown Armory.

Taps and its echo will be performed by Sussex Central student Denisse Mata and Sussex Central Music Director Ben Ables.

The program is scheduled to last about 50 minutes. Some seating is provided on The Circle. Attendees are also encouraged to bring comfortable folding chairs.