Memorial Day Cemetery Ceremony

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The annual Memorial Day Military Ceremony was held at the Greenwood Cemetery by the Marine Corps League. 

The event honors area veterans and current servicemembers who have served in defense of our freedom and recognizes those who have passed during the previous year by virtue of an honorary roll call. 

“You have to have been going into the Marine… or the Armed Forces from Muskingum County to be on this to begin with. And we have the funeral homes send us information we need and then I have a devoted member, a Vietnam vet who goes around and collects the names for us. We have 55 this year but we’ve had over 200 at a time,” Marine Corps League Member and Retired Master Sergeant Richard Bowers said.

The event features music performed by the Zanesville High School Marching Band, a 21 gun salute performed by the Honor Guard as well as a wreath placement by the local veterans service organizations, in addition to the ceremonial speech that was given by active Marine Corps Captain Harvey Nguyen.

“And it’s here to pay the respects for those that’s served,” Bowers said. “And for the families to be here to be here, to hear those names read is a lot. And the placing of the wreaths gives the organizations a little… you know… attention, by putting their wreaths there by the monument.” 

The ceremony is held alongside the cemetery’s military wall that lists all of the deceased veterans from Muskingum County.