By Wyatt Boyle | KOAL News

Honoring those who have served and currently serve, the Price American Legion Post 3 is holding events for Memorial Day and Flag Day on May 25 and June 14, respectively. Post Commander Kelly Madsen joined the KOAL newsroom to speak on the pair of upcoming American Legion events.

Opening our discussion, Madsen immediately clarified the differences between various military holidays.

“Veterans’ Day is for any veteran, whether they’ve passed away or still live,” Madsen said. “Memorial Day is for the ones that have passed away. And then there is also Armed Forces Day, which is for the ones that are still serving now.”

This Memorial Day, the American Legion will be traveling around county private and public cemeteries and giving speeches.

“We will be firing the rifles and doing a little flag ceremony where we’ll lower the flag to half mast,” Madsen said. “I’ll do a speech, we’ll fire the rifles, and we’ll raise the flag back up.”

Madsen expanded, “We will be starting in Helper at 8 a.m. on the 25th, and then we will go to the Price Cemetery at 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., we will be at the Cliffview Cemetery, Wellington Cemetery at 10:30 in the morning. Then we will be going out to East Carbon at 11:30 a.m.”

This Flag Day, the American Legion will honor the holiday by retiring flags behind the Price Firehouse at noon on Saturday, June 13. 

“Once again, you have to listen to me give a nice little speech,” Madsen said. “And then we will actually proceed into retiring the flags, which is appropriately burning them the way that the flag code says.”

The holiday events are open to the community and volunteers. Outside of holidays, the legion regularly meets and stays active in the community.

“In our regular meetings, we talk about what’s been going on the last few weeks,” Madsen said. “Also, we do the military funerals, we march in the parades, and we do buddy checks. Which is where we go out and check on the guys that can’t get out of their houses anymore.”

Madsen jokingly added, “Mondays and Fridays, we meet at McDonald’s to have coffee. I’m not sure how McDonald’s feels about that, but they seem to enjoy us.”

For more information on the Price American Legion Post 3, visit their website here.