Residents are invited to gather at Fairview Cemetery on Memorial Day as Buchanan’s annual ceremony returns Monday, May 25, to honor the nation’s fallen service members.
The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at Fairview Cemetery and is expected to include remarks, patriotic observances and community participation recognizing those who died in military service to the United States.
Organizers also announced a fundraiser luncheon will follow the ceremony at Solomon’s Mission, with proceeds benefiting the Fairview Cemetery Association.
This year’s guest speaker will be Col. Keith Gibson, executive director of the Virginia Military Institute Museum System. In that role, Gibson oversees the VMI Museum and Jackson House Museum in Lexington, as well as the Virginia Museum of the Civil War and New Market Battlefield State Historical Park.
A Virginia Military Institute graduate with a background in public history, Gibson has worked extensively in historic preservation and military history. He has served as a consultant on numerous historical documentaries and films, including “Gettysburg,” “Gods and Generals” and “Field of Lost Shoes.”
Gibson also played a key role in development of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District and has authored and contributed to several books focused on VMI and Civil War history.
American Legion representatives and local organizers said they are looking forward to Gibson’s address and encouraged the public to attend both the ceremony and luncheon.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
