Ceremony at 9am Monday in downtown
The American flag raised at Monday morning’s Memorial Day ceremony will honor the military service of Walter James Tarp, a Morgan Hill native who served in World War II.
Tarp joined the U.S. Navy in June 1942 and was sent to Hawaii, to a Pearl Harbor devastated by attack the previous December. While there he overhauled and repaired aircraft engines. He was discharged in December 1945 after the war ended.
Tarp died in October 2003 at the age of 82, leaving two children, Terri Toste and Jim Tarp, five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Each Memorial Day, Vietnam veteran Eddie Bowers honors a local veteran who has died recently, by raising a flag. This Memorial Day will be no different. The ceremony is scheduled to start at 9am at the Veterans’ Memorial in the Monterey Road median at First Street. Traffic will be slowed by police.
Dave Emmert and Marty Hall will lay wreaths at the foot of the memorial and William Gilmore will read the names of Morgan Hill men who have died while in the nation’s service. The Rev. Anita Warner of Advent Lutheran Church will give the prayer and a short talk.
Teacher Karen Crane will lead elementary school children in patriotic songs and Grant Halliday, 5, will recite the Gettysburg Address. Trumpeter Steve Johnson will take care of bugle calls.
Down the road in Gilroy, World War II fighter planes and a CALSTAR helicopter will fly over local veterans, Boy Scouts, police and fire personnel, the South County Thunderbird Club, and dozens of other area residents participating in the eighth annual Memorial Day Parade.
The day begins at 9am at Gavilan Hills Cemetery, off First Street, with a ceremony honoring those who died in battle.
The 90-minute parade begins at 11am and stretches along Tenth Street between Monterey Street and Orchard Drive.
Larry Connell and his father Dale, both Navy veterans, will serve as grand marshals of this year’s parade.
Following the event, organizers have scheduled a family day from 1-4pm at Christmas Hill Park.
The event will include a rock climbing wall, face painting, balloon artists, and other activities. The popular ’60s-tunes cover-band the Corvairs will also play at the Christmas Hill gazebo.
