Memorial Day ceremony 2016 - Sappington-Concord Historical Society

SCHS Annual Memorial Day ceremony 2016, Monday, May 30, 10:00 am
on the green at St Lucas

See photos of 2016 SCHS Memorial Day ceremony on the green at St Lucas.

The annual SCHS Memorial Day ceremony will be on the green at St Lucas, this year, 2016, as it was last year in 2015. The green at St Lucas is the grassy area along Denny Road next to St Lucas church on the east side of the church. See photos at the bottom of this page of the green. Having the ceremony on the green at St. Lucas is safer, quieter, and more convenient than Memorial Park in front of the former Johnny’s Market. SCHS held its first Memorial Day ceremony there in 1995 in the park and every ceremony was in the park until last year.

The World War II Honor Roll monument is located as always in the center of Memorial Park in front of the former Johnny’s Market. But for the Memorial Day ceremony last year, an imitation of the monument was created and set up on the green at St Lucas. The imitation monument looked so much like the original red granite monument in Memorial Park, that it caused confusion for some people seeing it set up on the green at St Lucas who said, “How did it get here?”

Bring your lawn chairs so you may sit comfortably during the ceremony. The ceremony is about ah hour long usually, and worth every minute of it!

In case of rain, the ceremony will be inside at St Lucas UCC, the hosts of the event.

Parking is convenient in the lots at St Lucas, right next to the green. Please go to the west parking lot on the Lindbergh Blvd side of the church and enter there. Follow the driveway along the back of the church to the east parking lot to park. See directions

Memorial Day is a day for remembering. Plan your three day holiday weekend around attending the Monday morning Memorial Day ceremony at 10:00 am. If you have come to the ceremony in the past, expect the traditional ceremony, with an exception this year. There will be a remembrance for the late Patriot Guard Rider, Mark Schoeder.

Remembering Patriot Guard, Mark Schoeder
Patriot Guard Rider, Mark Schoeder, was killed on his motorcycle in March while serving in a Patriot Guard funeral procession. Mark has been a part of the SCHS Memorial Day ceremony for several years. This year, as part of the Memorial Day ceremony, Mark will be remembered with a special and moving recognition. See an article about Mark’s fatal accident.

See Suncrest Call article about the 2016 SCHS Memorial Day ceremony. Go to Suncrest Call website.

See South County Times article about the 2016 SCHS Memorial Day ceremony. Go to South County Times website.

The green at St Lucas
The grassy area along Denny Road next to St Lucas church
St. Lucas UCC
11735 Denny Road
St. Louis, Missouri USA 63126
See directions

Why call the lawn a green? More than a lawn, a green is a place for community gathering. Greens have been a part of American and European culture and history for a long time. Like a commons, they were community owned pieces of land. Greens were a little like a park, though parks would not have been used in the same ways as people use parks today. In the past, there was not as much leisure time as today. Recreation was not as common, or a well known concept. Speaking of a green space as a green might make us think of slower and simpler times. See more about the green at St Lucas and greens in general at: Community on the Green.

In calling the small park-like area at St Lucas a green, there is also a connection to the name of the Sappington-Concord Historical Society. That is, in the first battles of the Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, some of the fighting was on the “village green.” Read the poem, “Epitaph for a Concord Boy” by Stanley Young, about those battles and a boy who died, “…there on the village green where he fell.” Again, see the page: Community on the Green to read the poem. That boy, if he were real, would be one of those who have served our country, a veteran. It is of course veterans that we are remembering at the Memorial Day ceremony on the green at St Lucas. See Thoughts on “concord” below.

Program features
• World Bird Sanctuary Eagle display. Visit the eagle before the ceremony.
• Lindbergh High School Spirit of St. Louis Marching Band. Musical show before ceremony.
• Colors Advanced by the St. Louis Marine Corps League
• Speaker, Brigadier General Ronald I. Botz
• Boy Scout Troop 646
• Tribute to MIA / POW
• Ms. Rachel Nieters, vocalist
• Laying of the Memorial Wreath
• Tribute to Patriot Guard Rider Mark Schroeder
• Taps played by the Moolah Drum Corps
• Doves of Peace released
• Spirit of St. Louis Marching Band unfurling their huge American flag at end of east parking lot
• Reception following the ceremony

Features of possible interest to kids
• World Bird Sanctuary Eagle display. Visit the eagle before the ceremony.
• Get free miniature American flag before the ceremony to wave for “God Bless America”
• Lindbergh High School Spirit of St. Louis Marching Band. Musical show before ceremony.
• Colors Advanced by the St. Louis Marine Corps League
• Boy Scout Troop 646 leading the Pledge of Allegiance
• Ms. Rachel Nieters, vocalist
• Doves of Peace released
• Spirit of St. Louis Marching Band unfurling their huge American flag at end of east parking lot
• Reception refreshments

Informational tables
• Visit the Johnny’s Market information table to share stories and reminisces of Johnny’s.
• Visit the table for the dig at Sappington House starting Wednesday, June 1st, running until Saturday, June 11.
• Veterans registration table. If a veteran in your family is not on the WWII Honor Roll monument or in the Hometown Heroes book, get him or her registered with the SCHS veterans archive.
• SCHS information table.
• SCHS membership table

The Memorial Day ceremony and reception are both open and free to the public. Facilities are handicap accessible.

Please join us on Facebook to get updates on any last minute changes to the ceremony such as a change due to rain
https://www.facebook.com/SappingtonConcordHistoricalSociety/

The Memorial Day ceremony is the biggest and most important event of the year for SCHS. See what other programs and projects SCHS has sponsored relating to veterans. See web page SCHS and Veterans.

What exactly is Memorial Day? See what the Veterans Administration says about it.

#gosilent
If you can not come to the Memorial Day ceremony, you can remember those who gave their all for our country by participating in the #gosilent campaign. For one minute, silently remember those who died protecting our country. See more about it at iava.org/go-silent. Or do it with every one else inthe country at 12:01 eastern time EDT.

Thoughts on “concord”
Concord. The word. What does it mean to you?
According to the oxforddictionaries.com, it means “agreement or harmony between people or groups: a pact of peace and CONCORD.” See the painting below. It shows British troops marching into Concord in the first battle of the Revolutionary War. Was there concord in Concord that night? 🙁 🙂 Just a thought to keep in mind as we remember that part of the area we live in is named Concord. And the name of our historical society is the Sappington-CONCORD Historical Society. On the green at St Lucas on Monday, feel the concord of the moment. Remember the trauma of war and the service of our veterans.