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Memorial Day: Don�t forget vets Services planned around the Rogue Valley By PAUL FATTIG Al Mullis wants folks to enjoy a traditional Memorial Day weekend, complete with picnics, family reunions and a day at the lake. But the Phoenix resident hopes they also will take a few minutes contemplating people like James M. Beery, one of 368 area servicemen killed or missing in action since World War I. Beery�s name is among those etched on a granite wall at the Medford Veterans Park memorial at Stewart and Riverside avenues. He was among 51 Southern Oregonians killed during WWI. "We have Memorial Day to remember all the veterans that were killed," Mullis said of the holiday that began shortly after the Civil War to remember those killed in that bloody conflict. "We shouldn�t forget those people who died in World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam," he said. "That�s our history." The park will host one of several local memorial ceremonies on Monday. As usual, all post offices will be closed in observance of Memorial Day. No first-class mail will be processed, although express mail will be delivered. With the exception of police and fire departments, government offices will be closed on Monday. The Rogue Valley Motor Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Test Center, normally open on Saturday, will be closed Saturday through Monday in observance of Memorial Day. Banks and schools also will be closed. An Army veteran and a member of the local Veterans Memorial Committee who refurbished the park originally built as a memorial to WWI veterans, Mullis replaced the park�s flags earlier this week in preparation for the annual ceremony. It begins at 2 p.m. Monday at the park. Featured speakers will include state Sen. Lenn Hannon, R-Ashland, and Medford city Councilman Bill Moore. "We�d like everybody who can to come out and spend a little time here," Mullis said. "People ought to remember." To help them remember, students from Scenic Middle School and local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will begin placing more than 9,000 flags on graves at the Eagle Point National Cemetery this afternoon. Memorial Day service at the cemetery will begin at 11 a.m. with the "unknown soldiers and sailors service." That will be followed by the laying of wreaths by various veterans and civic groups, a 21-gun salute and a fly-over by Oregon Air National Guard jets. The Eagle Point High School Band will provide the music. A Memorial Day ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Mountain View Cemetery near the intersection of Normal Avenue and Highway 66 in Ashland. Sponsored by American Legion Post No. 14 in cooperation with other local service organizations, the ceremony will feature music by members of the Southern Oregon Concert Band. Featured speaker will be Bob Friend of Christian Church of Ashland. In White City, a Memorial Day parade will begin at 2 p.m. Monday. The parade route is along Hale Way, Village Boulevard, Carr Street and Division Road. In addition, the Camp White Historical Association Museum will be open from 1 to 6 p.m. Monday. It is located in the second floor of Building 200 at the Department of Veterans Affairs Domiciliary in White City. An arts and craft fair with food booths and entertainment also will be held at the Domiciliary on Monday. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA