The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5855 and the American Legion Post 207 have canceled the annual Portage Memorial Day Parade and the Memorial Day Ceremony at Portage Veterans Memorial Park. Gary Vermuelen, who coordinates the Memorial Day Parade for the VFW Post 5855, said, “We believe the cancelation of the Memorial Day Parade is the right thing to do. Our members look forward to coming together on Memorial Day in 2021 to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.”
“With the current restrictions in place during these trying times, we do not believe that the Memorial Day Ceremony qualifies as an essential service,” said John Green, Adjutant with the American Legion Post 207. “Please stay safe and follow the guidelines put into place until this pandemic has passed.”
The City of Portage is grateful to the VFW Post 5855 and American Legion Post 207 for the work they do every year to recognize the incredible sacrifices our veterans make to protect our country. “Since we won’t be able to gather at the Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony this year, we encourage all Portagers to honor our fallen veterans by displaying the American flag on Memorial Day or by wearing a red poppy, the official flower of the American Legion, on National Poppy Day, Friday, May 22,” said City Manager Joe La Margo.
