A Time to Remember: Edmonds CC to host sixth annual Memorial Day Ceremony, May 22

Edmonds Community College will host its sixth annual Memorial Day Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 22, in the college’s Black Box Theatre.

Edmonds CC will host its sixth annual Memorial Day Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 22, in the college’s Black Box Theatre.

“Each year, we come together as a campus and community to reflect on the price paid for our freedom, and to show our gratitude to the families of the fallen as well as those still living who are connected to our Armed Forces in some way,” said Edmonds CC Veterans Resource Center Director Chris Szarek.

This year’s Memorial Day Ceremony will pay tribute to D-Day veterans who served during WWII. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy that allowed the Allied Forces to gain a vital toe-hold in France, Szarek said.

“It was a crucial victory that came at a heavy price, with over 10,000 casualties and over 4,000 confirmed dead,” he said. “We don't have very many D-Day veterans with us today to thank personally for their service and sacrifice, but it's important to remember what each person sacrificed, so we could be here today.

“Our Memorial Day Ceremony is an opportunity to share our deep respect for those who have worn the uniform with our community.”

Keynote speakers include Edmonds CC President Dr. Amit B. Singh, city of Lynnwood Mayor Nicola Smith, and Edmonds CC student veteran Joe Wankelman, who served as a U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot.

Features of the ceremony include: U.S. Joint Volunteer Service Command Honor Guard; Native American flutist Peter Ali; bagpiper Toby Beard; music by Edmonds CC instructor Linda Kappus and students; a display of military artifacts from The Northwest Veterans Museum; artwork, including paintings and sculptures, by local veterans; flags placed along the procession route by local Girl Scout troop No. 40525; and a memorial wreath created by Edmonds CC Horticulture instructor Linda Toccoli.

Edmonds CC is also home to the Veterans Resource Center (VRC), which serves the needs of over 225 veterans and their family members attending Edmonds CC by providing Veterans Affairs counseling and certification, an on-site academic advisor, career counseling, and an inviting place to meet other veterans. The center is funded by the Edmonds CC Foundation’s Boots to Books and Beyond Campaign.

“Throughout our campus you can see evidence of the high value we place on military service, whether it's the U.S. flag proudly flying at the bus circle, the Boots to Books and Beyond monument in the courtyard, or the Donor Recognition Wall outside of the VRC that showcases the generosity of those who helped fund the center,” Szarek said.

The Black Box Theatre is in Mukilteo Hall on the Edmonds Community College campus at 20000 68th Ave. W, Lynnwood, WA, see campus map and directions.