Memorial Day Weekend in Alamogordo Saw a Series of Activities

Our Friend Paul Chez Sanchez reminded us this Memorial Day 2025 to take 1 minutes to remember. The National Moment of Remembrance - 1 minute to remember.

There is actually a designated time for that moment, it's 3 pm your local time. They ask you take one single minute to remember them. Google National Moment of Remembrance to learn about it.

1,190,000 men & women are estimated to have died in the many wars we have fought. And that number does not include the millions more that carried those wars home, in their minds & bodies and later passed. I cannot imagine any AI capable of calculating every single Veteran that served and died, in combat or years later in their sleep.

Memorial Day is the day to remember and thank them. It's not the day to thank a Veteran for their service, that's what Veterans Day is for. And absolutely NEVER say "Happy Memorial Day" to a Veteran, Memorial Day is reserved for those that are no longer with us."

Memorial Day Weekend 2025 saw a series of activities to remember and to celebrate the memories of our veterans who sacrificed their lives for our nation.

Otero Arts devoted the whole month of May to remember the sacrifice and to also pay tribute to living veterans through arts and rememberance. From a veterans art showcase to an open mic with civilian and veterans dialogue, to dance, a discussion on Veteran Arts,  Guest Speaker Everett Cox engaged discussion on being a Vietnam Veteran and Sunday the organization hosted a drum circle. 

The local VFW Post 7686 representing Alamogordo and Tularosa led the annual raising of the flag and placing flags on the graves of those locals who sacrificed for their nation early Monday morning. 

 Approximately 35 volunteers showed up at 6 am to place flags on the tombstones at Monte Vista Cemetery and Immaculate Conception Cemetery both on 1st Street in Alamogordo.

Volunteers remembering the fallen for Memorial Day 2025 at Monte Vista Cemetery and Immaculate Conception Cemetery

The post leaders issue a huge thank you to Tom Seymour, the post Quartemaster, and Warren Booker, the post Judge Advocate, who did all the planning and coordinating with the city parks and recreation to get the gates open this morning. He said, "they did all the heavy lifting to make this day a success and deserve a huge thank you!"

Volunteers remembering the fallen for Memorial Day 2025 at Monte Vista Cemetery and Immaculate Conception Cemetery

This is an annual event led by the VFW Post  7686 and has been ongoing for decades  The VFW Post 7686 sponsored the event and was assisted with the help of the VFW auxiliary, The Boy Scouts , US Veterans Motorcycle Club Trinity Chapter,  Combat Vets Motorcycle Association , RWB (Red, White and Blue) as well as numerous other veterans and supporters.

Volunteers remembering the fallen for Memorial Day 2025 at Monte Vista Cemetery and Immaculate Conception Cemetery

A new member of the local VFW Post to recently move to Alamogordo showcased a memorial chalk art project that he had created.

He brought the multiple panels to the VFW Post to showcase and discuss throughout the day.  The new member is named Jose Acosta and Alamogordo Town News will be hosting a separate news article on his artwork and the meaning and significance of it in a future news article to provide it the coverage and context it deserves.

Remembering fallen soldiers artwork by Jose Acosta on display at VFW Post 7686 for Memorial Day 2025

At AlamogordoTownNews.org, NewMexicoConservativeNews.com and KALHRadio.org we concluded our Memorial Day Weekend reading a poem of remembrance and share it with our readers and listeners...

Ode for Memorial Day by Paul Laurence Dumbar

Done are the toils and the wearisome marches,
Done is the summons of bugle and drum.
Softly and sweetly the sky overarches,
Shelt’ring a land where Rebellion is dumb.
Dark were the days of the country’s derangement,
Sad were the hours when the conflict was on,
But through the gloom of fraternal estrangement
God sent his light, and we welcome the dawn.
O’er the expanse of our mighty dominions,
Sweeping away to the uttermost parts,
Peace, the wide-flying, on untiring pinions,
Bringeth her message of joy to our hearts.

Ah, but this joy which our minds cannot measure,
What did it cost for our fathers to gain!
Bought at the price of the heart’s dearest treasure,
Born out of travail and sorrow and pain;
Born in the battle where fleet Death was flying,
Slaying with sabre-stroke bloody and fell;
Born where the heroes and martyrs were dying,
Torn by the fury of bullet and shell.
Ah, but the day is past: silent the rattle,
And the confusion that followed the fight.
Peace to the heroes who died in the battle,
Martyrs to truth and the crowning of Right!

Out of the blood of a conflict fraternal,
Out of the dust and the dimness of death,
Burst into blossoms of glory eternal
Flowers that sweeten the world with their breath.
Flowers of charity, peace, and devotion
Bloom in the hearts that are empty of strife;
Love that is boundless and broad as the ocean
Leaps into beauty and fullness of life.
So, with the singing of paeans and chorals,
And with the flag flashing high in the sun,
Place on the graves of our heroes the laurels
Which their unfaltering valor has won!

Note: Photos for AlamogordoTownNews.org Courtesy of Cindy Nowaczck 

More News from Alamogordo

• Covid 19 Vaccine No Longer Recommended by CDC for Children and Pregnant Women CDC under Kennedy drops Covid 19 recommendations...
• Alamogordo City Commission Recap MainStreet Project Fully Funded Misc overview of city commission meeting