Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday of May, honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Formerly recognized as Decoration Day, the federal holiday became official in 1971, but it originated after the end of the Civil War.

Park Rangers, volunteers, special guests, and the Put-in-Bay community will honor the fallen at Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial during a Memorial Day Service at 11am on Monday, May 30. The Memorial column will open immediately following the ceremony at approximately 12pm.

The service will begin at 10:55am with a procession from the Visitor Center to the Memorial plaza where a brief service will take place starting at 11am. A wreath will be placed in the Memorial’s rotunda over the spot marking the location where the three American and three British naval officers who died in the Battle of Lake Erie are interred together.

As has been the tradition in recent years, Park Rangers will hand out red carnations with the name of an Ohioan who has died in the line of duty. This year Dan Polk will be our special guest leading us in singing the National Anthem at the beginning of the service. He is well known to Ohioan’s for leading the National Anthem for the Guardians, Browns, and Bengals.