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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2017)
S moke S ignals MAY 15, 2017 7 Memorial Day event set for Monday, May 29 10 names being added to West Valley Veterans Memorial By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor The annual Memorial Day event at the West Valley Veterans Me- morial on the Grand Ronde Tribal campus will be highlighted by Trib- al Council Chairman Reyn Leno, a Vietnam War-era Marine Corps veteran, reading the 10 names be- ing added to the four black granite pillars that represent the major branches of the U.S. armed forces. The Grand Ronde Honor Guard begins the day with its customary solemn ceremonies at the Tribal Cemetery at 8 a.m. followed by ceremonies in Willamina at 9, Buck Hollow at 10 and Sheridan at 11. The main event begins at noon with a ceremonial meal served in the nearby Tribal Community Center. The outdoors ceremony begins at 1 p.m. with Steve Bobb Sr., chair- man of the Tribe’s Veterans Special Event Board and also a Marine Corps veteran from the Vietnam War era, giving the invocation and serving as master of ceremonies. Grand Ronde drummers will play a memorial song, Tribal youth JC Rogers will sing the national an- them as she did in 2016 and Grand Ronde Royalty and Veterans Royal- ty will perform “The Lord’s Prayer” as sung by Aaron Neville. The Grand Ronde Honor Guard If you go 15th Memorial Day ceremony When: Noon Monday, May 29 Where: Tribal Community Center & West Valley Veterans Memorial, 9615 Grand Ronde Road More info: 503-876-3118 will post the colors and speakers will include Polk County Veterans Service Officer Marie McCandless, Yamhill County Veterans Service Officer Jerry Wilson and Veterans Benefit Specialist Niki Volz. Names being added to the West Valley Veterans Memorial this year are Navy veterans Steven E. Rife Jr., Russell H. Talmadge, Dennis J. Kleffner and Ryan D. Jackman; Air Force veteran Walter F. Schmale; Army veterans Harold R. Hobbs, Dennis D. Ylitalo and Charles M. Parker; and Marine Corps veterans and Tribal members Gerard C. Bolden and Dru W. Stromberg Jr. The addition of 10 names brings the total number of veterans hon- ored on the pillars to 2,335. The ceremony will close with Bud Abbott reciting his traditional poem “Remember Me, America” and Rob- ert Thornburg performing taps on the trumpet. The West Valley Veterans Memo- rial, which was dedicated in 2003, was designed by Bobb and features Smoke Signals file photo The Grand Ronde Honor Guard brings in the flags during the 14th annual Memorial Day ceremony held at the West Valley Veterans Memorial on the Tribal campus last May. a man and a woman dressed in tra- ditional Native clothing standing side by side reaching to the sky. Surrounding them are four black granite pillars, which feature the names of Tribal and community veterans from Grand Ronde, Wil- lamina and Sheridan. Graduation set for June 23 The annual Grand Ronde Graduation Celebration will be held 6 p.m. Friday, June 23, in the Tribal gym, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. The theme of this year’s celebration is “What you plant now … you will harvest later.” The ceremony recognizes the accomplishments of Tribal gradu- ates from kindergarten through college-level degrees. Dinner will be provided. If you graduated during the 2016-17 academic year, contact the Tribal Education Department at education@grandronde.org or by calling 503-879-2275 to be added to the list. Ad created by George Valdez
