While many Americans perceive Memorial Day as a welcome three-day weekend, for veterans it’s a day rife with meaning and memories.

According to the National Cemetery Administration, Decoration Day was formalized by a "Memorial Day Order" issued by Grand Army of the Republic Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan in 1868 in the wake of the Civil War.

The modern proclamation establishes it as a federal holiday on the last Monday in May and calls on Americans "to observe Memorial Day by praying, according to their individual religious faith, for permanent peace."

In Lake County, fallen veterans are honored in both Polson and Ronan.

In Polson, the procession starts at 10 a.m. in front of the Polson American Legion building on 105 3rd Ave. E.

Participants will be escorted by Polson Police west to Main St., turn south to Seventh Ave. and then travel east to Lake View Cemetery on Hillcrest Drive. There, the public is encouraged to attend ceremonies and hear an address presented by District American Legion Commander Dorothy Goodwin, on the importance of this solemn occasion.

In Ronan, a procession lead by the Honor Guard departs St. Luke Hospital at noon, travels slowly east on Main St. followed by cars, turns left at the Club Bar and continues to Mountain View Cemetery on North Foothills Drive for a ceremony, typically at the grave of Tech 4 Laverne Parrish, who earned the Medal of Honor for his heroism during World War II.

The Ronan VFW will host a lunch for veterans and their families at the VFW Post after ceremonies conclude at the Ronan cemetery

For more information, call Jeff Nelson at 406-249-9383.