Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery to again host Memorial Day ceremony

For the first time since 2019, a public Memorial Day ceremony will be held at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood

The ceremony will take place at 11:30 a.m. at the cemetery at 20953 W. Hoff Road in Elwood, according to an advisory.

The ceremony will feature Terry Prince, the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, other speakers, the Joliet American Legion Band, the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Squad, a military timeline display and a flyover.

The cemetery staff is looking for volunteers to help place flags at gravesites before the ceremony on Friday and remove them on Tuesday.

Christine Gutzeit, the cemetery’s program specialist, said those who wish to volunteer on either day are asked to gather at 9 a.m. at the main flag pole.

“We take any volunteers that show up,” she said.

The Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery was dedicated in 1999 as the 117th national cemetery within the VA’s National Cemetery Administration.

The cemetery takes all members of the armed forces who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

A veteran’s spouse, widow or widower, minor dependent children and, under certain conditions, unmarried adult children with disabilities may also be eligible for burial.