Owatonna honors fallen heroes during Memorial Day service

Community members took time out of the holiday weekend Monday morning to pay their respects and honor those who the holiday is meant to remember: fallen service men and women.

A crowd gathered inside Owatonna’s Four Seasons Centre for the annual Memorial Day service, organized by the local American Legion and VFW. Dave Thul served as president of the day, emceeing the event as the community honored those who died during service with a ceremonial placing of a wreath on the symbolic unmarked grave.

Prior to the day, volunteers places more than 3,200 American flags on the graves of Steele County veterans.

Thul also read the list of Steele County veterans who have died since last Memorial Day.

Earlier in the event, Owatonna Middle School student Emma Hess recited her winning VFW “Patriot’s Pen” essay, describing how one could be inspired by America.

“I was trying to think about the most inspiring thing about America, but I came to realize that even me writing this essay and being able to read it — that is inspiring,” Hess said.

Hess continued to say that just by looking out one’s window, there are plenty of reasons to be found about how inspiring the country is. This ranges from the natural beauty of the land, diversity of people, freedom of religion, the right to choose whatever career one desires, and infrastructure surrounding education and health care.

“Who is inspiring? Veterans — they keep the United State of America peaceful for us all to be free,” she continued. “Veterans have given up so much to help people they don’t even know, which we all should be inspired by.”

The Owatonna High School Concert Band, directed by Peter Guenther, and the vocal ensemble “Just Friends” performed.

The event ended with a 21 gun salute by the American Legion and VFW Color Guard, and the echoing of Taps.

Next year, the Memorial Day parade prior to the annual event is anticipated to return, with members of the Early Edition Rotary Club taking lead of the organizing.