The placing of the names of deceased veterans on the Veterans Memorial Wall at Bicentennial Park in Troy is a special event of Memorial Day activities each year.

American Legion Auxiliary Unit 70 in Troy conducts the dedication ceremonies and has set a deadline of April 15 for names to be added to the Memorial Wall at the Memorial Day Ceremony on May 30.

Katie Hale, Auxiliary president, said in order for the bronze name plaques to be ready for the Memorial Day Ceremony, orders must be placed no later than April 15.

“The names of deceased veterans may be added to the Memorial Wall at any time but most families want to have the name of their loved one added on one of the two holidays that honor our veterans, Memorial Day and Veterans Day,” Hale said. “The Memorial Wall honors veterans of all wars from World War I to the present.”

Hale said that a veteran does not have to have died in combat for his or her name to be placed on the Wall.

“The name of any deceased veteran may be so honored,” she said. “People might not realize that the veteran doesn’t have to be from Pike County. As long as the family is from here, their loved one’s name may be placed on the Memorial Wall.”

American flags are flown in memory of deceased veterans of all wars along the Avenue of Flags at Bicentennial Park on all patriotic holidays.

The cost of a memorial name plaque on the Veterans Memorial Wall is $125 and a memorial flag on the Avenue of Flags is $25.

“The Auxiliary keeps a record of the names of all of those who are honored with a flag but the names are not inscribed on the flags,” Hale said. “There are more than 300 flags on the Avenue of Flags and we would like to remember all deceased Pike County veterans with a flag flown in their honor.”

Those who would like to honor a deceased veteran with a memorial plaque or flag may call Hale at 808-4161 or Faye Pittman at 566-8849 for more information.