By Brenda Erdahl
The Maple Lake American Legion and VFW Honor Guards and a small gathering of community members paid their respects to military who lost their lives in the service of their country, Monday, May 25, at an unusually small, but respectful Memorial Day service.
Humid and cloudy, the rain held off as the honor guard lined up near the Veteran’s Memorial, careful to put several feet of space between them. Meanwhile, a handful of people trickled down onto the grass to hear a few words from American Legion Commander Randy Mavencamp. A half a dozen cars lined up along Ash Ave where more citizens waited with windows open. The sun peaked out briefly while Harold Brutlag read the opening prayer and names of veterans who died in 2019.
It was not how a normal Memorial Day would look in Maple Lake, but it was something. Mavencamp talked about how they were there to honor the men and women who lost their lives in service of this country and to keep in mind those on the front lines today fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also a day to dedicate the medal soldiers donated by the VFW that were installed at the park the week before, he said.
The entire event took less than 20 minutes.
In a normal year Maple Lake would have hosted a well-attended ceremony including a parade, speakers, prayers, rites, and music by the high school marching band. COVID-19 and social distancing constraints have changed the look of Memorial Day across the county, but it hasn’t changed the respect and gratitude we as Americans have for our veterans.
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