Memorial Day at Evergreen Washelli

Memorial Day at Evergreen Washelli

89th Annual Memorial Day Service, Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park, Veterans Memorial Cemetery, North Seattle, Monday, May 25, 2015 at 1:30pm

Hundreds of veterans, their families and the public will gather for the 89th Annual Memorial Day service and concert in the Veterans Memorial Cemetery located at 11111 Aurora Ave. N. in Seattle. Scouts, churches, local organizations and families will place flags on all the graves in the Veterans Memorial Cemetery early Monday morning.

The 1:30pm concert will feature marches, patriotic selections and other music provided by the Seattle Pacific University Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Drum Corp, Daniel Helseth, Conductor. The Service of Remembrance begins at 2:00pm.

Lt. Col. Stephen F. Keane

Lieutenant Colonel Stephen F. Keane, Marine Corps Security Force Batallion, Bangor, WA is the guest of honor.

Lieutenant Colonel Keane deployed to Iraq in October 2003 with the DoD Criminal Investigation Task Force, an interagency counter-terrorism task force. Upon returning from deployment in 2004, Lieutenant Colonel Keane assumed the duties of Chief Prosecutor and Military Justice Officer at the Legal Service Support Section, 2D Force Service Support Group, Camp Lejeune, NC. 

In May 2009, Lieutenant Colonel Keane assumed duties as a Military Judge for the Western Judicial Circuit, Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary. Prior to arriving at Marine Corps Security Force Battalion Bangor, he was the Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellow to the U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division, Counter-Terrorism Section. 

Lieutenant Colonel Keane’s personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal and other unit and service awards.

The program will begin with the Parade of Colors. The Color Guard is from the Marine Corps Security Force Battalion, Bangor. Following will be the National Anthem which will be sung this year by Maria Kesovija, and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Carol Ridenhour. Chaplain Edward Fackler, will lead us in the Invocation and Benediction with the Memorial Day Address by LtCol Stephen Keane, USMC. Wreath Placement Ceremony will be led by the Advisory Board. The program will conclude with a ringing of the Liberty Bell 21 times, followed by Taps and the Retiring of the Colors. The program should end about 3:00.

The public is invited to visit the graves of our Medal of Honor Recipients. Evergreen Washelli is proud to hold the remains of several Medal of Honor Recipients. Please join us today in remembering them. We invite you to visit their graves, read their stories and see an image of the medals received. Located on the east side of Aurora Avenue are five Medal of Honor recipients. Three are interred within the Veterans Memorial Cemetery, and two are located in Section O and W. You will find one additional Medal of Honor Recipient across the street on the west side of Aurora. From the northwest corner of the cemetery you will see his family plot just south of the Arbor Crest Mausoleums. To assist in finding their location the gravesites are roped off. Maps are available in the program.