Do you know the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day?
Memorial Day, which is Monday, May 27, honors all who died in military service to their country. Veterans Day, observed annually on Nov. 11, celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.
The city's annual Memorial Day service at Chattanooga National Cemetery, 1200 Bailey Ave., will be held on Monday at 11 a.m., hosted by Chattanooga Area Veterans Council.
Parking will be provided at the National Guard Armory, 1801 S. Holtzclaw Ave., and Redemption to the Nations Church, 1908 Bailey Ave., parking lot A. Shuttles will be provided to and from the cemetery between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The only parking allowed in the cemetery will be vehicles with handicapped plates or placard.
For more information: 423-855-6590.
In preparation for that service, local Boy Scouts will place more than 50,000 flags on graves at the Chattanooga National Cemetery. It's a tradition begun by Boy Scouts of the Cherokee Area Council more than 100 years ago.
More than 2,000 Scouts, Scout families and Scout leaders will come together on Saturday, May 25, to continue the tradition this year.
The morning will begin with a ceremony at 8 a.m. at the Armed Forces Pavilion. The Choo Choo Chorus will sing the national anthem.
The Cherokee Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, will welcome guest speaker Bud Alley, a native of Greenville, South Carolina.
In 1965, he was part of the newly formed 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and sent to Vietnam. As part of the famed 7th Cavalry, Alley participated in the battles of the Ia Drang Valley in November 1965, and four more significant large operations. He was decorated with the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and others for his service.
After serving his country, he entered the packaging industry, serving in several capacities with various companies around the South. He retired in 2006, went back to graduate school at Middle Tennessee State University and received a master's degree in public history in 2011.
He currently serves as the volunteer coordinator for the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center.
"This event is one of the highlights of the year for our local Scouting community," says Scott Fosse, Scout Executive for the Cherokee Area Council. "Through the years, we have had several generations of Scouts place flags in this annual event, including Scouts who have placed flags for one of their own family members."