In light of current events, the 2020 Millerton Memorial Day program, hosted by its American Legion Post 178, will be done a bit differently this year due to social distancing guidelines caused by the spread of COVID-19. As a result, this year, the Post will not be inviting the public to participate in person during observances and any participation in our Memorial Day exercises will be restricted to members of the Post. However, the Post will be inviting the public to participate virtually via both Facebook and YouTube.

Veteran’s Park in Millerton, NY

The Memorial Day program will begin at 6am at the Post where members will raise the national colors, conduct the customary rifle salute and play Taps. They will then proceed to Millerton’s local cemeteries, Spencer’s Corners, Winchell Mountain, North East Center, Coleman Station, the Old Veterans Plot in Irondale Cemetery, and ending at St. Patrick’s Cemetery. At 10am, the Post will resume the morning observances by conducting their salute at the bridge over the Webutuck Creek to our Naval and Merchant Marine sailors. Between 10:10-10:15am, the Post will resume at the New Veterans Plot in Irondale Cemetery, before conducting the final ceremony at Veterans Park around 10:30am. The program at Veterans Park will be no more than 15 minutes.

Sean M. Klay, Post Adjutant and Historian for the American Legion Post 178 said in a statement, “While it is custom on Memorial Day to raise the national colors to full staff or remove the black mourning tassel at noon, this year our national colors will remain at half-staff in observance of the Governor’s flag order of April 9th 2020 and while NY State remains on PAUSE. We ask that all also remember to observe the national Moment of Silence at 3pm EDT. The Millerton American Legion looks forward to being able to resume public activities at a later date.”

Millerton’s American Legion Post will be posting information about joining them virtually on their website at legionpost178.org as well on their Twitter and Facebook pages.

Question can be directed to the Post at postcommander@legionpost178.org