Memorial Day is a day to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. There will be several ceremonies in the area on Monday, May 27.

In Waterloo, a ceremony will be held on the Monroe County Courthouse grounds beginning at 11 a.m. There will be speakers, patriotic music, and other traditional remembrances as coordinated by the local VFW and American Legion posts. The featured speaker will be Matthew M. “Fritz” Mihelcic, who was elected the 113th Commander-in-Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. in 2021. With the U.S. Air National Guard, he served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm from 1990 to 1991 as a security policeman.

In Columbia, a program will be held at American Legion Post 581, 375 E. Locust Street, at 11 a.m. Monroe County Clerk Jonathan McLean will serve as the featured speaker, and the Belleville Community Band will play patriotic musical selections. Charles Lindhorst, James Mertz and Wilfred Myers will be honored as 50-year Legion members.

Valmeyer will honor the fallen at the American Legion Post 901 grounds, 618 S. Meyer Avenue, at 10 a.m. The featured speaker will be retired Columbia High School principal Dennis Patton, who is now an author and local historian. Refreshments will be served following the service and all attending are invited.

There will also be a ceremony at 11 a.m. in Dupo at American Legion Prairie Du Pont Post 485, located at 200 S. 5th Street.