* Council 4599 of the Knights of Columbus will host a Memorial Day Mass at Marietta National Cemetery at 9 a.m. Mass will be led by Archbishop of Atlanta Wilton Gregory. All are welcome. Free parking is available at the Marietta Public Library, with free shuttle service provided between 8:15 and 10:15 a.m. via the Marietta Trolley. For more information, call (770) 424-6204.
* Also at 9 a.m., in Smyrna, participating houses of worship will ring their church bells for three minutes to commence seating at the Veterans Memorial in that city. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and include aircraft flyovers, invocations, wreath-laying ceremonies, rifle fire, Taps and speeches by notable veterans.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a display of military aircraft, vehicles, weapon systems and equipment. There will be a concert featuring the 530th U.S. Air Force "Band of the South." In between songs the Smyrna high school contest winners will recite moving poems that give tribute to those that have lost their lives as well as honor those that are still fighting.
There will also be entertainment, climbing walls, and fun for the entire family. American Legion Post No. 160 will be selling food on-site. The Memorial Day Remembrance is organized by the City of Smyrna, the Veterans Memorial Association and American Legion Post No. 160. In the event of major weather concerns, the ceremony will be relocated to the Community Center, 200 Village Green Circle.
* The Georgia Army National Guard and Air National Guard will sponsor a ceremony in Canton, followed by an afternoon of static displays and flyovers at McCollum Field in Kennesaw.
At 10 a.m. at Canton's Georgia National Cemetery, a man will be celebrated by the Archbishop Emeritus of Atlanta, John Donoghue and concelebrated by the Rev. John Mateyek, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Kennesaw. At 11 a.m., Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, adjutant general of the Georgia National Guard, will lead a special remembrance for the seven who gave their lives during the Guard's deployment in Afghanistan. An Aerial Honor Guard of more than 25 aircraft will also perform a flyover to honor the seven.
The Georgia National Cemetery is on Route 20 in Canton.
From noon to 5 p.m., McCollum Field in Kennesaw will be the site for an official welcome home of the the 48th Guard unit; static displays of the aircraft; and flyovers throughout the afternoon. There will be inflatables for children, and vendors selling food.
Tickets are $5, and are available at shuttle-bus pickups at Kennesaw State University parking near Frey and Chastain Roads. No parking will be allowed at McCollumn Field. All uniformed military and their immediate family will be admitted free.
* U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honore, retired, will be the guest speaker at a noon event at Marietta National Cemetery.
For more than a half century, a ceremony has occurred every Memorial Day at Marietta National Cemetery to honor all those who served and gave their life for our country's freedom. It is a time to reflect on - and honor - those who stood heroically by their country during battle and who are today making the same unshakable commitment of valor in far away lands. Sponsored by the National Memorial Day Association of Georgia and The Avenue of Flags, this year's event promises to once again stir emotions and teach young and old alike what the words duty, honor and country truly mean.
The event will feature patriotic music, posting of the colors, prayers, a gun salute and inspiring speakers. All veterans, as well the general public, are invited.
* American Legion Post 294 of Powder Springs will host its annual Memorial Day Ceremony at noon at the Powder Springs Veterans Memorial on Atlanta Street in front of the Powder Springs Library. The program will feature patriotic music, a keynote speaker retired from the Army, comments by the Mayor, laying of a wreath in honor of fallen comrades, and a rendering of Taps.
The public is invited to join us in honoring the many soldiers, sailors, and airmen who have died while defending the freedoms America holds so dear in the hearts of its citizens. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held at the Community Room of the Coach George Ford Center, behind the library.
At 1:30 p.m., weather permitting, the Post will conduct a flag retirement ceremony at its Post home, 3282 Florence Rd. The Powder Springs Veterans Memorial was dedicated on Veterans Day 2001. Post 294 and the City of Powder Springs a jointly care for the monument and the surrounding grounds.
* Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is presenting a Memorial Day weekend display of veterans' uniforms and memorabilia to be shown in the Visitor Center education room. The display is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through today.
Ken Myers, who has provided patriotic and educational U.S. military displays in the Atlanta area for the past ten years, is the owner/presenter of the display and will be on hand to answer questions. No reservations are required.
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Memorial Day activities at the marietta national Cemetery have become a real tradition in our community. Sixty five years ago my father in law, as a Boy Scout, placed flags on the graves of the fallen at the Marietta national Cemetery. This week my son, a Boy Scout, placed flags on and saluted those same heores. I was proud to see the tradition continue and to know that this holiday has meanings here, that this meaning is real to us and it is not something generated through media publicity or fashion and fancy. Memorial Day has meaning to us. As I am proud of our military heroes I am proud of my now elderly fathe in law who has keep to the tradition of marking Memorial Day with some sort of patriotic act and of my slender and pale Boy Scout son who now celebrates this day in our community's fashion.
God bless the soldiers & veterns. Thank-you!