Memorial Day events canceled due to coronavirus, but some Boise cemeteries are open
Observances for this year’s Memorial Day will look quite a bit different around the Treasure Valley because of the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Annual Memorial Day events at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in Boise will not take place, for instance, even though the state and city have moved into their second stage of reopening.
“Even during this difficult and challenging time, we must never forget that as a nation we have a solemn responsibility to recognize and honor those that have served and died in defense of our freedom, and the freedom of those oppressed throughout the world”, Veterans Cemetery Bureau Chief James Earp said in a news release.
According to the release, which called the cancellation a “difficult decision,” a single U.S. flag will be placed at each gravesite by the Captain Art Jackson Young Marines and volunteers from veterans organizations.
The city of Boise announced there will be no Civil War reenactment at the historic Morris Hill Cemetery this year, and the cemetery’s hours will be limited throughout the weekend. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Monday, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The city also announced that there would be a limited capacity allowed all three days. Though the cemetery’s main office will be closed, staff will be there to help people identify grave locations. Boise Parks and Recreation employees will staff a kiosk to offer additional information to visitors, and in a sign of the times, hand sanitizer and rubber gloves will be available.
Two other Boise cemeteries, the Pioneer Cemetery and the Fort Boise Military Reserve Cemetery, will be open this weekend but will not be staffed.
For those out and about Monday morning, you might notice a number of World War II-era airplanes in the sky. The Warhawk Air Museum will be conducting the yearly flyover starting at 11:10 a.m. on Memorial Day.
The group of five airplanes will first fly over the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery at 11:11 a.m., and then loop over Saint Alphonsus, Morris Hill Cemetery, St. Luke’s and the Boise VA Hospital. The planes will then head west and fly over St. Luke’s in Meridian at around 11:17 a.m., followed by the Meridian Cemetery, Saint Al’s in Nampa, St. Luke’s in Nampa and the West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell. They should reach West Valley by 11:22 a.m., according to a news release.
In other places, Memorial Day activities are going virtual. The city of Meridian announced this week that officials are hoping to stream its annual activities at Kleiner Park’s Rock of Honor Veterans Memorial over Facebook. There will not be public events at the park because of coronavirus concerns, officials said.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 2:18 PM.
