Each year on Memorial Day, VFW Post 5162 in Madison, Alabama, has upheld a special tradition: a wreath-laying ceremony that honors all who have fallen for our country.
“It’s been going on for as long as any member can remember,” said Post 5162 Quartermaster Marcus Craig.
Members of VFW Post 5162 gather at Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, Ala., to hold their annual Memorial Day Ceremony. Standing between them is a decorative wreath with the VFW insignia, along with their Post number, displayed in its center. The Post meets at Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, Alabama., to host the event, which is open to the public.
Decorative wreaths are brought to the cemetery, where they are put on display near a monument that was donated from a joint venture between VFW Post 2702 in Huntsville, Alabama, and the American Legion. The wreaths will often include the names of veterans written in the center.
A speech honoring the legacy of Army General John A. Logan is given each year at the ceremony. Logan is best known for formalizing Memorial Day in 1868, then known as Decoration Day. Here, the Post commander honors the service of all veterans and then asks for a moment of silence.
“[The Ceremony] helps me say thank you. It helps me acknowledge that there’s nothing I can do for them personally, but maybe what they would have wanted was to not have been forgotten, to know their sacrifices were not made in vain,” said Junior Vice Commander Randy Wise in an interview with WAFF News.
After the ceremony at Maple Hill Cemetery, Post 5162 members join North Alabama Veterans & Fraternal Organizations Coalition (NAVFOC) members at the Huntsville Madison County Memorial Park to help support their own Memorial Day Ceremony.
NAVFOC originally held its ceremony alongside Post 5162 at Maple Hill Cemetery before moving to Huntsville Madison County Memorial Park.
This article is featured in the 2025 April issue of Checkpoint. If you're a VFW member and don't currently receive the VFW Checkpoint, please contact VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.