American Legion hosts Memorial Day weekend events for Flagstaff, NAU communities

The American Legion Mark A Moore Post 3 in Flagstaff is hosting events this weekend to honor the fallen heroes that have inspired Memorial Day.

A barbecue will be hosted at the American Legion across from Wheeler Park on May 26 and 27. The American Legion will be collecting donations for local USMC veteran and past commander John Thompson, who is recovering from a severe cancer surgery.

“He has been an amazing supporter of local veteran organizations and has bettered the community in so many ways. He’s a father, friend, comrade and true community supporter” said Jake Phelps, commander of the American Legion Mark A Moore Post 3.

On Monday, a Memorial Day service will be held at the Citizens Cemetery at 11 a.m. Following the service, a lunch will be hosted at the American Legion at 204 W. Birch Ave. Flagstaff, AZ 86001.

Volunteers and donations are appreciated. Volunteers should meet at the entrance of the Citizens Cemetery at 9 a.m. on Saturday to help place flags at veterans’ graves. For more information about Memorial Day and the American Legion, visit the American Legion Mark A Moore Post 3 website.

Jeremy Musgrove, a junior studying Spanish and environmental sciences who served in the Marine Corps for five years and works at the Veterans Success Center, talked about the importance of this holiday.

“There is a special kind of bond that is made with fellow service members,” he said. “When you work, live and surround yourselves with the same group of people, a family bond is created. I believe this is one of the reasons why our military has been so successful throughout history—the camaraderie among service members has enabled us to endure and overcome some of the toughest of times. When an incident occurs, the feeling of losing that brother or sister is devastating. The feelings of grief and anger often overwhelm the soul, and dealing with these emotions in a high tempo and often dangerous environment is difficult.

“Few veterans claim to be heroes; however, it is well accepted within the veteran community that service members who gave their lives in the line of duty are heroes. That is the foundation of this holiday.”