HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – More than 80 people gathered on the Hill County Courthouse lawn on Monday morning to view the annual Memorial Day Service in Havre.
The service included a 21 gun salute, the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, the laying of wreaths, and the hoisting of the American flag by local scouts.
Josh Gomez, Chaplain for the local American Legion Riders, read the names of local Veterans who died over the last two years and provided the invocation and benediction.
“It’s really important to me. I really enjoy doing the invocations and benedictions for stuff. I do them normally for most programs that we have, and I also work with my church a lot. It is kind of a warm spot for me to actually be the one giving the invocation, especially for something as important as the Veterans who have lost their lives.”
Following the Service, a free will chili and soup luncheon was held at the Elks Lodge. This was unable to take place last year due to COVID-19 precautions.
“The Veterans get to have that socialization,” Gomez said. “They get to sit down and have something to eat and drink with their friends. A lot of the Veterans may not get out as much, but a lot of times they get the older Veterans out to this specifically so they can interact with their comrades and the people they haven’t seen in awhile.”
Local groups that helped with the Service included the local American Legion Riders, VFW, American Legion and the Havre Elks Lodge.
