Memorial Day 2014 will be
commemorated at the Cape St. George Light with a ceremony including patriotic
music, a 21-gun salute, and the dedication of the flagpole at the historic
lighthouse.
This special ceremony on
Monday, May 26, will honor the valiant men and women who gave their lives in
defense of our country, as well as one of our own who lost a brave fight with
cancer a year ago.
The day will begin with the
raising of the U.S. flag to half-mast at 8 a.m.
A salute of 21 minute-guns will begin at noon, in compliance with Memorial Day protocol
as specified in the Flag Manual of the U.S. Marine Corps. One shot will be fired every minute until
12:20 p.m. from a rotation of three small cannons positioned to the west of the
flagpole. At the conclusion of the
salute, the flag will be raised to full-mast.
The Franklin County School
Band, led by Band Director Karl Lester, will open the program at 11:45 a.m.
with selections of patriotic music.
Franklin County District 1 Commissioner Pinki Jackel will be the
featured speaker.
The nautical-style flagpole,
funded by friends and family of island resident James W. Lambert Jr. who passed away on May 3, 2013, will be
dedicated to his memory during the ceremony.
Born in Tallahassee, Jimmy Lambert began visiting St. George Island as a
child and built a home on the island with his wife Rhonda in 1983. For 30 years he enjoyed sailing, fishing,
surfing and kayaking on Apalachicola Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and was an
active member of the island community.
Jimmy and Rhonda own Lambert Construction of Tallahassee, Inc. and built
many commercial and residential buildings in the Tallahassee area and in
Franklin County.
The flagpole at the
lighthouse flies the United States flag on the main mast and the State of
Florida flag and the flag of the U.S. Lighthouse Service on the yard arm. The triangular U.S. Lighthouse Service flag
is a replica of the flag that was flown at Lighthouse Service lightships,
tenders, and light stations for over 100 years.
An American flag and a State of Florida flag that have flown over the
State Capitol in Tallahassee have been presented to the St. George Lighthouse
Association by State Senator Bill Montford.
Additional American flags have
been donated by island residents Tary Gaylor and Bob Gardner.
The public is invited to
attend the ceremony which will be held on the lawn in Lighthouse Park. Guests are encouraged to bring a lawn chair
for seating.
For more information, contact
the Lighthouse Gift Shop at 850-927-7745.
http://live.oysterradio.com/
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