MONROE COUNTY OFFICES CLOSED MONDAY IN OBSERVANCE OF MEMORIAL DAY; VETERANS AFFAIRS TO ATTEND TWO CEREMONIES

Monroe County Veterans Affairs Deputy Director James Carey and Administrative Assistant Dawn Crane pay tribute to fallen soldiers at the Bayview Park Memorial Day ceremony.

MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County offices will be closed in observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 27. On Monday, Monroe County’s Veterans Affairs Department will participate in the Memorial Day wreath service at 10 a.m. at the Key West Veterans Memorial Garden at Bayview Park and is co-hosting with VFW Post 10211 a ceremony at the Murray Nelson Government Center at 11 a.m.
 
Ceremonies in Monroe County include:

• Key West Cemetery - Winslow Plot, Key West, 9 a.m.
• Key West Veterans Memorial Garden – Bayview Park, Key West, 10 a.m.
• Southern Keys Cemetery - Big Coppitt Key, 11 a.m.
• Islamorada Hurricane Monument - MM 81.5, 9 a.m.
• Murray Nelson Government Center - Key Largo, 11 a.m.

 
"On Memorial Day, we, as a nation, pay tribute to the brave service members who lost their lives while defending our freedom," said Director of Monroe County Veteran Affairs Cathy Crane. "Their courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to our country will never be forgotten. It is our duty to honor their memory and express our gratitude for their selfless service."
 
Memorial Day is traced back to the end of the Civil War and was known as Decoration Day, a day when graves of fallen soldiers were decorated in memory of their service. In 1971, Congress made Memorial Day a national holiday on the last Monday in May to pay tribute to those who died while serving in the military.
 
For more information on Monroe County Veterans Affairs, visit www.monroecounty-fl.gov/va, or call 305-453-8777.