A Memorial Day ceremony to honor the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who lost their lives in service to our country will be held on Monday, May 29, 11:00 am at the Battle Ground Veterans Memorial located at Kiwanis Park, 422 SW 2nd Avenue in Battle Ground.
Mayor Philip Johnson, U.S. Army, retired, will lead the ceremony. Thirty-one local sons who died in service, and whose names are engraved on the wall of the memorial, will be remembered and honored with a reading of their names.
In a special presentation to his family, an Honor and Remember flag will be presented in memory of Cpl. Jeremiah J. Johnson. The son of David and Beth Johnson, Jeremiah was born and raised in the Vancouver area. He attended Prairie High School where he played centerfield for the baseball team and was a member of ROTC. Shortly after graduating in 2001, he married Gale; they had two children, Isaiah and Rya. He joined the U.S. Army in 2003; Cpl. Johnson was deployed to Iraq in 2006, where, in December of that year, was critically injured. He succumbed to his injuries on January 5, 2007. With the presentation of the Honor and Remember flag, Cpl. Johnson is honored for his unwavering dedication and selfless sacrifice and his family recognized for the enormity of their loss.
Also recognized this Memorial Day are 24 veterans whose families and loved ones purchased commemorative bricks to honor their service. Commemorative bricks, installed at the foot of the memorial’s wall, honor any veteran, living or deceased, and display the veteran’s name, branch of service and dates of service. Purchased bricks are installed annually just prior to Memorial Day.
Community members are encouraged to attend the Memorial Day ceremony. To learn more about the Battle Ground Veterans Memorial, the 31 honored veterans whose names are engraved on the wall, and commemorative bricks, visit www.cityofbg.org/veteransmemorial.
