News Photo by Crystal Nelson Matt Waligora, president of the Alpena Boosters Club and mayor of Alpena, and Rocky Roland, president of the Alpena Kiwanis Club, put flags into the ground Thursday along Washington Avenue. The service clubs worked together to place 250 flags on Chisholm Street and 162 flags on Washington Avenue ahead of the Memorial Day weekend.

ALPENA — Millions of people in the U.S. will enjoy a three-day weekend, barbecues, and spending time with friends and family to celebrate Memorial Day and the unofficial kickoff of summer this weekend.

To others, however, the weekend is an important time to ponder the true meaning of the holiday, which is to honor men and women who lost their lives fighting in the armed forces to preserve our country’s sovereignty and the rights of its people.

On Monday in Alpena, Northeast Michigan residents who gave the ultimate sacrifice will be remembered and saluted during a trio of ceremonies.

The first will take place at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Alpena County Courthouse, followed by a parade that marches down 9th Avenue to Old Washington Avenue to the edge of the Thunder Bay River, where a wreath will be placed in the water to pay tribute to those who were lost at sea.

The largest of the events will be a ceremony at 11 .m. at Little Flander’s Field, where Col. John Minor, commander of the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, will give a speech to the crowd.

After Minor’s address, wreaths of tribute will be placed in front of rows of dozens of white crosses that represent residents from the Alpena area who died on the battlefield from the Civil War to Operation Desert Storm. Wreaths will also be placed at the foot of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the memorial dedicated to those who were missing in action, prisoners of war, or were subjected to the harmful chemical Agent Orange.

Alpena County Veterans Affairs counselor George Stevens said people should not confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day. He said the holiday on Monday is dedicated to those who died while in uniform, while the other in November is for all who have worn the uniform.

Stevens said that, years ago, people used to line the side of the road to see the Memorial Day parade and then migrate to the cemetery for the ceremony. He said that, as the years passed, however, fewer and fewer came to pay tribute to those who died to preserve their rights.

“The reason that people are able to have their cookouts and enjoy a long weekend is because of the sacrifices made,” Stevens said. “Memorial Day is a chance for people to reconnect with what it took to gain and preserve our freedom. I think there is a lot of stuff that is going on and people are moving away from celebrating the real meaning of the holiday. We are seeing fewer and fewer people each year who come to see the parade. I have noticed a big dropoff, and now there is hardly anybody.”

Asked what it would take to increase participation of the memorials and reignite that passion toward the true meaning of the holiday, Stevens was frank.

“I hate to say it, but probably another war, because, actually, right now, there are fewer people dying in combat and there is really nothing fresh on the minds of the people,” Stevens said. “I think if there was something that hit close to home, we could see a shift in things.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpeanews.com.