Memorial Day Services Monday in Worland, Ten Sleep

WORLAND — Floyd Minch Post 44 of The American Legion will conduct its annual Memorial Day ceremonies on Monday, May 31 this year in Worland and Ten Sleep. The local Legion post has been holding these services for more than 70 years at Riverview Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Worland and the Ten Sleep Cemetery in Ten Sleep.

Post 44 Memorial Day Chairman Randy Reed said this year the Legion is honored to have U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis and Brigadier General Justin Walrath of the Wyoming Air National Guard as the principal speakers both in Worland and Ten Sleep.

The Worland ceremonies will begin at 11 a.m. at the Arch in Memory of the Valiant in Riverview Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Post 44 Commander Ryan Decker will be the Master of Ceremonies. Post 44 Chaplain Frank Ley will be the Chaplain, and Washakie County Commission Chairman Fred Frandson will give the greeting from the community.

Following tradition, the poems “In Flanders Fields“ and the reply to “in Flanders Fields” will be recited.

This year there will be a special speaker from the Wyoming Air National Guard. Thermopolis native Brigadier General Justin Walrath will give Memorial Day remarks at both Worland and Ten Sleep.

General Walrath was born and raised in Thermopolis and graduated from Hot Springs County High School in 1987.  He then attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, graduating in 1991. He served on active duty for ten years before joining the Wyoming Air National Guard. He joined the Guard in 2000, and with his promotion to Brigadier General in February of this year, he became an advisor to the Wyoming Adjutant General.

The main Memorial Day speaker this year is U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming’s junior senator who took office on Jan. 3, 2021. She is the first woman to represent Wyoming in the Senate. A member of the Republican Party, she served as the U.S. Representative for Wyoming’s at-large congressional district from 2009 to 2017. Before joining Congress, she served as a State Representative (1979–83, 1985–93), State Senator (1993–95), and State Treasurer (1999–2007).

Born and raised on a ranch outside Cheyenne, Sen. Lummis has dedicated her career to defending Wyoming’s agriculture, mineral and energy resources. In the Senate Sen. Lummis serves on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; the Environment and Public Works Committee, and the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee – three powerful committees that position her to advocate for Wyoming’s natural resources, financial innovation and rural telecommunications and transportation issues.

Sen. Lummis and her late husband have one daughter, and two grandsons.

Following the speakers, there will be the placing of wreaths in memory of those fallen in defense of the United States of America by attendees representing the military branches and war periods.

After the benediction by Chaplain Ley, the Post 44 Honor Guard Firing Squad will fire three volleys to honor the fallen, followed by Post 44 Honor Guard bugler David Wood sounding the bugle call “Taps”.

After the services at the cemetery, there will be an informal lunch at the post 44 Post Home at 129 South Seventh Street in Worland.

The Ten Sleep Memorial Day ceremonies will be at 1:30 p.m. at the Ten Sleep Cemetery. The program is similar to the Worland program except that Ten Sleep Mayor Ernie Beckley will give the welcome, Cora Norman will recite “In Flanders Field” and Lindsey Holiday will give the reply.

Liam Adams will sound the bugle call “Taps” and Mike Adams will play the Echo Taps.