AMERICAN LEGION: Ceremony has speakers

FROM PAGE 11

“We let people know what we do in the community and what we do during the year for the community,” said John Dominguez. Dominguez is the house manager and maintenance man for the post. He was in the Marine Corps. He served for eight years and did a tour in Vietnam in 1969-70.

Dominguez said they get some of the schools invited to the ceremony like the ROTC from Bogalusa and Franklinton and they have speakers.

“We have speakers, usually the mayor and some of the local politicians speak on what Memorial Day means to them,” Dominguez said. “The fire department will bring the ladder truck out and hang a big flag, usually 10x20. We go out there that morning, we show every branch of the service and hang a wreath. At the end of the ceremony, we do a 21-gun salute and taps is played.”

Dominguez said that they try to get the wreaths hung by local veterans who were in that branch of the military.

Two other events they hold are Flags for First Graders and a July 4 parade.

“We go to all of the schools, give the kids a little stand with a flag on it, usually a coloring book, fliers for the parents on how to take care of the flag and we’ll give them a brief history about the American flag,” Dominguez said about Flags for First Graders.

They tell them what each star and stripe means.

“We have fun with them and we love it. We started this program about 10 years ago,” Dominguez said.

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